Popular Lhasa Attractions
Can't decide how to spend your time in Lhasa, the capital city of Tibet Autonoumous Region? Start with this list of Lhasa City's most popular attractions to get started planning your trip to Lhasa, Tibet, China.
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Potala Palace
The Potala, which in Tibetan means "High Heavenly Realm", is named after a stone cliff on Cape Comorin at the southern tip of India. It was sacred to the Buhhda of Compassion, whom the Indians worshipped as Avalokitesvara and the Tibetans believe to be Chenresik, who passed his spirit into the Dalai Lamas.Built for several purposes, the Potala served as administrative center, seat of government, monastery, fortr...
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Norbulingka
The Norbulingka, literally "Jewel Garden," was the summer palace for the Dalai Lamas. Located in the west suburb of Lhasa, it was built in the 40's of the 18th century and covers an area of 36 hectares. It was a resort for the 7th Dalai Lama for bathing in fountain. At the time, the high commissioners of the Qing Dynasty stationing to Tibet built the first palace for the 7th Dalai Lama. Consequently, the 8th...
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Jokhang Temple
Jokhang Temple is the spiritual center of Tibet. Everyday pilgrims from every corner of Tibet trek a long distance to the temple. Some of them even progress prostrate by body length to the threshold of the temple. Pilgrims fuel myriad of flickering butter lamps with yak butter, or honor their deities with white scarves (Kha-btags or Hada) while murmuring sacred mantras to show their pieties to the Buddha.Jokhang Temple...
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Barkhor Street
With a history of more than 1,300 years, the Barkhor is essentially a pilgrim circuit which is followed clockwise round the periphery of the Jokhang. Shaped roughly like an octagon, it is also a hive of market activity. Barkhor Street has a long history. Built to encircle the famous Jokhang Monastery in Lhasa, it is actually a narrow lane, 600m long.Lined with the shop stalls and teahouses, the outdoor market sells all...
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Drepung Monastery
Drepung Monastery is one of the "great three" Gelukpa university monasteries of Tibet. The other two are Ganden and Sera. Drepung, which means rice heap in Tibetan language,is located on the Gambo Utse Mountain, 5 kilometers from the western suburb of Lhasa. The monastery covers more than 200 thousand square meters, once the largest monastery in the world.It was founded in 1416 by Jamyang Chojey,a leading discip...
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Ganden Monastery
Ganden Monastery is one of the 'great three' Gelukpa university monasteries of Tibet, the other two are Sera Monastery and Drepung Monastery. Notably situated high up on the Gokpori Ridge about 45km east of Lhasa, the monastery was finished on 1410 by Tsongkhapa himself. But the main hall was not completed until 1417, two years before his death. It stands at an altitude of 3,800 meters (12,467 feet) above sea level.Ganden...
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Sera Monastery
About 4 km north of Lhasa, the Sera Monastery was built in 1419 by Sakya Yeshe, a disciple of Tsongkhapa. It is magnificent and covers an area of 114,946 square meters. And it is named after the wild rose flowers grown on the slope of mountains nearby. When the monastery was built, the hill behind it was covered with wild roses in bloom.Many famous buildings can be seen in the Sera Monastery today: Sera Mey Dratsang,...
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Yamdrok Lake
Also called Yamdrok Yumtso, the lake is 110 km southwest of Lhasa. Encompassing an area of 638 square kilometers, it is regarded by Tibetans as one of the three sacred lakes. The lake has an elevation of 4,441 meters above sea level with an average depth of 30 meters. The lake is surrounded by many snow capped mountains and fed by the numerous small streams. It is a highland freshwater lake with a dozen of islands, the...