Lhasa - is the capital city of The Tibetan autonomous region. It is one of the most culturally rich cities in china. Its population is 367 000 people, mainly Tibetans and Han Chinese. The city of Lhasa is famous for its handicrafts and central market square. Here you can buy all kinds of things to take home with you. Also around Lhasa there are a number of sights to see in and around Lhasa.
The Potala Palace- this stunning palace of the Dalai Lama is listed by UNESCO as a world heritage site. This imposing building is situated on a hillside in Lhasa and can be seen from all over the city. It was first constructed in the 7th century, and is considered as the most comprehensive art treasure house of cultural relics in Tibetan area of China. Towering upon the Moburi Mountain in the Lhasa valley, the Palace is world renowned for its magnificence and exquisiteness. A serpentine stairway up the mountainside leads to the palace buildings on a height of 3,700 meters above sea level. Its stone-and-wood main building has 13 stories, measuring 110 meters in elevation. Towering upon the Moburi Mountain in the Lhasa valley, the Palace is world renowned for its magnificence and exquisiteness. A serpentine stairway up the mountainside leads to the palace buildings on a height of 3,700 meters above sea level. Its stone-and-wood main building has 13 stories, measuring 110 meters in elevation. Is located in the west of Lhasa. From the palace you can get stunning views all around Lhasa.
Jokhang Temple-this four story temple was built in the mid 10th century. The Jokhang Temple has not only concentrated the essence of Tibetan architectural arts, but also adopted a great deal of architectural styles of the Han, such as beam supports, mortise and tenon bracketing, caisson ceiling. Through several additions and renovations, it became a grand group of buildings. This place is very important to the Tibetan people and many religious rites are performed here. During the first month of Tibetan calendar, tens of thousands of lamas from various parts of Tibet gather in the Temple to worship Buddha and recite sutra. The Jokhang Temple is the symbol of religious authority as well as the center of Tibetan politics. In former days, it was the seat of the Tibetan government.
The Tashilhunpo Monastery - It is the beautiful monastery in Tibet built in 1447, houses a 26 meters high altitude where you can see the statue of Maitreya. Other building contains images of Sakyamuni and embalmed bodies of Lama. It is one of the six main monasteries in Tibet that belongs to the yellow hat sect. This place houses many monuments and treasures that are important to Tibetan Buddhism. Although the monastery was disbanded in 1960 by the Chinese authorities, it has now been revived with 800 monks studying for the traditional geshe exams.
At its height, the labyrinthine Tashilhunpo monastery had over 4000 monks resident in its four tantric colleges, each headed by its own abbot.
Gandan Monastery - a day trip outside of Lhasa is well worth the trip. This monastery was the first one built by Tsong Khapa, founder of the Gelung (yellow) Sect of Lamaism, in the 15th century. From this monastery perched on a hillside you can also get amazing views of your surrounding environment.
Zhebung Monastery - covering 250,000 square meters this is the largest temple in Tibet. Its vastness sprawls over a hillside and is surrounded by a village which supports the monastery.
Sera Monastery - this is the famous place just on the outskirts of Lhasa where you can see the monks actively debating with each other. It’s a fascinating and beautiful place to visit.
Shigatse - It lies 274km to the west of Lhasa. It is Tibet’s second largest city and has 500 years old history. The highway runs alongside the Yarlung Tsangpo (Brahmaputra) river passing through narrow gorges and broad river valleys. Farmers plowing fields with yaks, sheep grazing on the vast plains, awesome sand dunes and rocky hill in the distance are the scenic reward in this trip.
Gyantse - It is located 260 km to the southwest of Lhasa. The trading was the major stop on the legendary India-Tibet caravan route. Gyantse’s highlight is the Kumbun monastery which is 32m high and contains 77 rooms and 1000,000 images of the Buddha.
Tsetang - It is known as the cradle of Tibet civilization. This ancient town offers the numbers of side trips that illustrate Tibet’s early history.
Mt. Kailash and Lake Manasarovar - these are two of the most famous sights in Tibet where you will be exhilarated observing such sights. Mt. Kailash is 1,257 km over a mountain highway from Lhasa. Mt Kailash is a holy mountain regarded by Hindus and Buddhists alike as the home of the god Shiva. Every year thousands of people come here for pilgrimage. The 53 kilometer kora(circuit) of Mount Kailash is one of the most sacred of pilgrimage circuits in the world. Kailash (Kang Rinpoche in Tibetan) is the earthly manifestation of Mount Meru and is sacred to Buddhists, Hindus, Bonpos and Jains – the entire route is lined with prostration points, places to check you sin-level, drink or immerse yourself in sacred waters, make offerings and hang prayer flags. It’s a three day walk around this mountain. The walk also takes in the shores of holy Lake Manasarovar.
