Geographic coordinates: E91°06′   N29°36′

Population: 550,000  

Area:  11,583 sq mi

Average altitude: 11,975ft

Average temperature: ℉ 

Annual rainfall: 7.8-20 in

IDD: 86 – 0891

Lhasa is the capital of Tibet Autonomous Region, as well as the political administrative and cultural center. While many visitors are surprised or disappointed by the sight of high-rises, karaoke bars and other expressions of Chinese economic growth, there are plenty of unexpected delights to make a visit to this soulful capital very much worthwhile.

Situated in a high-altitude valley at 11,975 feet surrounded by even higher mountains and with the scenic Kyichu River flowing right through town, Lhasa can be wonderfully picturesque in spite of its rapidly modernizing skyline. In the older parts of the city, especially near the Potala Palace and Jokhang Monastery, you'll find spinning prayer wheels, colorful flags and traditionally clad Tibetans going about their Buddhist business. Take your time in Lhasa, and you are virtually guaranteed unforgettable sights and experiences as you explore the streets, squares and attractions of this dynamic city at the heart of an ancient land.

The destruction of buildings and historical records over the years has left much of Lhasa's history to story-telling, puzzle-solving and myth, but it is well known that Tibet's capital city has seen it all—from long periods of violence and turmoil to triumphant glory days and undisturbed stretches of peace. It is unclear when the first nomads wandered into Lhasa to stay, but the city's official history begins with King Songtsen Gampo, who established his kingdom's capital in the pretty river valley in the seventh century. The region had already established trade with what is now northern India and eastern China, and this outside influence affected the king directly: he was the region's first prominent convert to Buddhism. In his devotion to the religion, he built many temples around Lhasa—two of which still stand today: the Jokhang and Ramoche—sealing the union between the words "Tibetan" and "Buddhism" forever.

Over the next several hundred years, Lhasa's political importance dwindled as its religious significance grew, making it a major Buddhist pilgrimage site. During the fifteenth century, Tsongkhapa, the founder of the Gelukpa school of Buddhism, built three large monasteries in Lhasa (the Ganden, the Sera and the Drepung) at the center of a puritanical Buddhist revival, the result of which was a revitalization of the capital city and its population. Soon thereafter came Lobsang Gyatso, the fifth Dalai Lama, who was authorized to combine his religious and political power. He began rebuilding the massive Potala Palace in 1645 and succeeded in re-establishing Lhasa as a political center.

The subsequent centuries found many outsiders expressing interest in Tibet, and foreign visitors with all manner of agendas started to flood the once-isolated kingdom, including Western Christian missionaries set on converting Tibetans from their Buddhist ways. By the mid-nineteenth century, the political leaders in Lhasa decided to close and lock the doors to the Rooftop of the World, effectively shutting Tibet off from outside influence in an attempt to preserve its culture and autonomy. Lhasa remained the Tibetan center of Buddhism throughout the next decade, during which nearly half of its population was made up of monks. Though autonomous in a number of ways, Qing Dynasty imperial representatives kept Tibet firmly in the orbit of Chinese power and political control until the dynasty itself began to crumble under pressure from Western imperial powers and internal dissent.

Tibet, after experiencing a high degree of autonomy during the chaotic period of two World Wars and civil war and revolution in China, was to fall under direct Chinese control after the decisive Communist triumph. Having defeated the Kuomintang and gained control of mainland China in 1949, the People's Liberation Army entered Tibet in 1950; one year later the Tibetan government signed a treaty granting the PRC control and possession of the land. Over the next twenty-five years many Buddhist temples, monasteries and shrines were damaged and destroyed as the tumult of the Cultural Revolution swept westward from the Chinese heartlands. During this period, many Tibetans perished from violence and famine. Others chose to leave, including the Dalai Lama, who has remained in exile ever since. In recent years, development and the influx of Chinese settlers has changed the face of the city significantly, though it remains the vital heart of Tibetan culture and a phenomenal place to visit. 

Attractions

Potala Palace   Johkang Monastery   Barkhor Street Lhasa   Drepung Monastery   Ganden Monastery   NorbuLingka   Sera Monastery   Tashilhunpo Monastery