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Tibet’s capital, Lhasa
(el. 3700m.) is a beautiful city with history going back 1,300
years. The magnificent Potala Palace,
former seat of the Dalai Lamas, presides over the city. Built in
1645 at the top of a hill, the palace contains 1000 rooms, 10,000
shrines and 200,000 religious statues.
The old city revolves around the Jonkang Temple and the quaint Barkor Market that surrounds it. The Jonkhang, built in the seventh century, is the
holiest Buddhist shrine in Tibet. Its mural
paintings; finely worked golden rooms; and other artworks are
something to see. At a little
distance from the old city core, Lhasa
is also a modern capital of concrete high-rises, fancy department
stores and wide boulevards.
The Norbulinga
area consists of wooded greenery and three places once used by the
Dalai Lamas as a summer retreat. The Drepung
Monastery lies about 10 km from the city. Built in 1416, it is the
largest in Tibet.
The Sera Monastery, about 5 km to the north of Lhasa,
is another important center of Buddhist learning.
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