Tibet/Lhasa

Lhasa:

The Holy city of Lhasa is the heart and soul of Tibet, the abode of the Dalai Lamas, and an object of devout pilgrimage. This is not only because of it remoteness, its high altitude of 3700 meters means limited accessibility, but also because of its impressive heritage of over a thousand years of cultural and spiritual history that helped to create romantic and mysterious.

Lhasa situated in south central part of region and North bank of the Kyi-chu River in a mountain-fringed valley. The ancient sprawling city settled 1300 years ago, cover 30,000 Sq.km,with a population of 40,000 of which 85 percent are Tibetans. The urban population is 200.000.

While the Potala Palace serves as symbolic focus for Tibetan hopes for self government, it is the Jokhang Temple, some 2km to the west of the Potala Palace,that is the spiritual heart of the city. There are some major tourist sites in Lhasa which are given as follows:

• Potala Palace
• Jokhang Temple
• Bakhor Street
• Sera Monastery
• Norbulingka
• Ganden Monastery
• Drepung Monastery