Tibet Regional Guide - Lhasa		Recommended China Travel Agency: China Odyssey Tours   - China Tour   - Yangtze River Cruise   - Discount China Hotels

1. Lhasa - Most concentrated tourism spots

Lhasa is situated on the northern bank of the Lhasa River, a tributary of the Yarlung Zangbo, in the mid-south of Tibet Autonomous Region. To the east and southeast of Lhasa are the regions of Nyingchi and Sharman; Nagqu neighbours Lhasa on the north and west; Xigaze lies on its southwest. The administrative sphere of the city covers 277 kilometres from east to west and 202 kilometres from north to south. Among its total area of 29,518 square kilometres, the urban area of Lhasa is just 50 square kilometres. Seven counties - Chengguan, Damxung, Lhunzhub, Doilungdegen, Nyemo, Quxu, Dagze and Maizhokunggar are under the administration of Lhasa. Among its total population of 474,500 (by the year 2000), the Tibetan people take up 87 per cent, with the rest of the population consisted of Han, Hui and some 30 other nationalities.

Lhasa tilts from north to south, with the mid-south taken up by the valley of the Lhasa River, a tributary of the Yarlung Zangbo. With an annual average temperature of 7.5'C, its average temperature in January is 2.3 °C and 15.41C in July. The climate here is of the temperate plateau monsoon type.

Lhasa is one of Tibet's most important agricultural zones. The main grain crops include highland barley, wheat, corn, broad bean and pea. The main cash crops are potato, turnip, cabbage, tomato, cucumber, eggplant, etc. The fruit trees are apple, peach, pear and walnut. There are poplar, willow, birch, fir and other trees. The animal hus¬bandry is centered on yak, pianniu (offspring of a bull and a female yak), cow, sheep, goat, etc. The typical medical materials are: Chinese caterpillar fungus, the bulb of fritillary, Rhodiola sachalinensis A. Bor., snow lotus, Solamwn Muicatnm, musk, pi¬lose antler, etc. The wildlife here includes wild yak, kiang, Mongolian gazelle, Tibetan antelope, river deer, red deer, black-necked crane, swan, Tibetan snow pheasant, etc. Tourists can find here a variety of famous tra¬ditional arts and crafts souvenirs: the wool carpet for one to sit on, larger carpet, waist sword, bangdian (colourful apron worn by Ti¬betan women), wooden bowl, gold and sil¬ver jewelry. The waist sword at Lhasa is the most famous.

There are some 200 scenic spots in and around Lhasa. Among them, over 20 are fa¬mous ones and over 30 more spots are under planning. The important sites inside the city of Lhasa include the Potala Palace, Jokhang Monastery, Ramoche Monastery, Norbulingka, the Tang Dynasty-Tubo Alliance Tablet, Drepung Monastery, Sera Monastery, Zongjolukang (commonly known as the Dragon King's Pool), the square in front of the Potala Palace and the Tibet Autonomous Region Museum. Then there are the Gandain and Yerba monasteries in Dagze County; the Curpu Monastery in Doilungdegen County; the Razheng Monastery in Lhunzhub County; the Bri-gung Monastery in Maizhokunggar County; the Zhoimalhakang and Xungse Monastery in Quxu County, etc. For natural scenic spots, visitors shouldn't miss the Nam Co, the Yangbajain geothermal grounds and the Nyainqentanglha Mountains which are located in Damxung County. In addition, the Dezhong Hot Spring of Maizhokunggar County, the Doilung and Xungba Gyura hot springs of Doilungdegen County, the na¬ture reserves at Lhunzhub and Maizhokunggar counties are also worthy of visiting.
Lhasa is the transportation hubbub of Tibet. The Qinghai-Tibet Highway, Sichuan¬Tibet Highway and China-Nepal International Road converge here. The centre of Lhasa is about 100 kilometres from the Gonggar Airport. When the new road crossing the river and mountains is completed, the distance will be cut by half.

Lhasa is a city of history and culture. The word "Lhasa" is a Tibetan name. Accord¬ing to Tibetan Buddhism and the Bon Religion, "lha" means "god," sometimes the greatest God. Thus the Tibetan meaning of "Lhasa" should be the "Place of God." In the old times, "Lhasa" was also called "Rasa" (Land of Goats). This name is related with the legend that herds of white goats carried rocks for the building of the Jokhang Monastery. In Chinese annals, Lhasa is sometimes called "Lhoxia" which came from the Tibetan pronunciation of the city's name.

Lhasa is a city with some 1,400 years of history. In AD 633, the Tubo Tsampo Songtsan Gambo moved the capital from Yarlung of Shannan Region to today's Lhasa. He or¬dered the construction of the Potala Palace, the Jokhang and Ramoche monasteries, turning the place into the most populous town on the Tibet Plateau and laid the founda¬tion for Lhasa. Since the Tubo Kingdom collapsed in the later half of the 9th century until the early Ming Dynasty in the 14th century, Lhasa was controlled by different regional powers and developed slowly. However, the circular pilgrim route around the Jokhang Monastery gradually flourished, forming the embryo of the city. In time it would become known as the Barkhor Bazaar. In the late Ming Dynasty, three major monasteries of the Gelug or Yellow Sect of Tibetan Bud¬dhism were constructed in Lhasa. Especially in the 17th century, with the support from Qing Dynasty rulers, the Dalai Lama reincarnation system gained the supreme political and reli¬gious power of Tibet and set up the Gandain Phodrang local regime. As Lhasa rose to be the power centre of Tibet again, the Potala Palace and Jokhang Monastery also gained renovation after centuries of devastation in warfare. Since then until the early 20th century, residential houses, shops, hotels and restaurants mushroomed to form busy streets surrounding the old pilgrim route around the Jokhang Monastery. As the city became Tibet's most important commercial centre, the population also grew quickly. Under the feudal serf system which combined religion with politics, splendid monasteries, the grand Potala Palace, as well as prominent nobles' residences dwarfed the shabby cottages or tents of the common people. In 1951, when Tibet was peacefully liberated, Lhasa had a population of less than 30,000, including beggars and tramps. The urban area was no more than 3 square kilometres nearby today's Barkhor Bazaar. Among the haggard houses, the narrow streets were strewn with rubbish. All sorts of diseases were rampant in the city.

In 1960, Lhasa became a city, then in 1965, when the Tibet Autonomous Region was set up, Lhasa became the capital of the region.

Over the past 30 years, the rebuilding of the old Lhasa has been carried out under the nrincinle of maintaining the city's traditional appearance. Electricity, tapped water and underground sewage disposal systems were completed one by one in the sphere of the old city. At the same time, heavy construction has been carried out to the north and west of the old city. Well-equipped Tibetan and modern-style architectures quickly rose to modify the skyline of Lhasa. After China entered the opening and reform era, especially in the past 10 years, Lhasa has been changing rapidly every day. While maintaining the regional and ethnic colours, the city has been updating its infrastructure including social services, public cultural, education and hygiene facilities, transportation and communications. A modern city is already taking shape. At present, the urban area of Lhasa covers 45 square kilometers.
In 1982, Lhasa became one of the first 24 historical and cultural cities in China declared by the State Council. The Jokhang Monastery, Potala Palace, Norbulingka, Drepung Monastery, Sera Monastery and Gandain Monastery are world-famous tour¬ism attractions. At the centre of the old city, the Barkhor Bazaar (due to the Sichuan dialect, the place was called "Bajiao" Bazaar in the past) has faithfully maintained the old city's appearance. It was the pilgrims circulating the Jokhang Monastery who first trekked out this street. It is fair to say that Barkhor Bazaar had appeared long before the city of Lhasa came into being. Nearby the Barkhor Bazaar are over 100 historical and cultural relic sites. To name just a few: the Ramoche Monastery built at the same time with the Jokhang Monastery; the oldest bazaar in Lhasa - Chongsaikang; the old Lhasa official building before the democratic reform and the old residence of Qing Dynasty officials to Tibet. Over the past centuries, Barkhor Bazaar has been the largest trade centre of Tibet. Today, it still takes up an important place in the trade of small commodities, especially ethnic and traditional handicrafts. The bazaar is lined up with stands selling daily necessities, traditional handicrafts, religious items and antiques. Amid the bustling atmosphere of commerce, the streams of pilgrims presenting their holiest worship to the Jokhang Monastery add solemnity to the business centre.

As the total amount of annual solar radiation in urban Lhasa is 202 kilocalories per square centimetre, it is honoured as the "City of Sunlight."

Before its peaceful liberation in 1951, Lhasa had no road reaching the outside world. Only a shabby path connected the Potala Palace and the Norbulingka. Small vans as¬sembled with components carried across the mountains and rivers by yaks and human labour fumbled along this path. Today, Lhasa has become a transportation pivot both on land and in air for Tibet.

2. Xigaze Region- Most comprehensive natural landscapes