Lhasa

INTRO
Lhasa which means "place of the gods" is one of the holiest places in Tibet and in whole China. It is famous as a traditional seat for Dalai Lama and Tibetan Buddhism regard it as a very sacred city.

City Profile
City: Lhasa
Country: China
Area: 30,000 square kilometers
Population: 400,000
Mayor: Lobsang Gyaltsen
Language:Chinese

LOCATION
Lhasa is situated in the north of the Himalayas in the Tibet Autonomous Region, and is also its capital. The city has a reputation as one of the highest cities in the world because of its 3,650 m above sea level - just another fact that makes Lhasa so unique.

TIME TO VISIT
As I mentioned, Lhasa is a city situated very high, so visiting it you have to keep in mind its location and the temperature there. Warm clothes are preferable all year long as well as sunglasses, sun-oils and hats, it may seem like a paradox but the weather in the mountains is unpredictable. It is very easy to get a tan at such a high altitude but also it is as easy to burn your skin. The best months to visit the city are fro March to October.

POPULATION
There are 400, 000 people on an area of 30, 000 sq. km., but only 180,000 of them live in the urban area. The majority of them, around 87% are Tibetans.

DISTRICTS
There are several major areas in Lhasa, called counties.

Lhünzhub county - it is a small county located north-east of Lhasa, it doesn't have much inhabitants - just about 50,895 people
Haidian District is frequently called "The University District" by the foreigners who live there because it is the place where most of the universities are situated. Many of Haidian inhabitants don't have residential certificates since they are students and yet it is the second-largest district and a home of Beijing's Municipality.
Damxung county - Meaning "selected pasture" in Tibetan language the area is famous with its lake - the biggest in Tiber, named Lhamo Namco Holy Lake. The lake has an area of 1920 sq. km. and is a favorite tourist spot.
Nyêmo county - a very tiny county located in the west of the main center in Lhasa. The other counties are Qüxü County, Doilungdêqên County, Dagzê County, Maizhokunggar County which aren't very famous.

SIGHTS & ATTRACTIONS

Potala Palace - this building is a huge, massive construction build and rebuild several times through the history. It has always being a political center and a seat for Dalai Lamas. Inside there are many gifts from Emperors, scriptures and many priceless antiques. The fee is 100 RMB and keep in mind that there are many stairs to climb so be ready. http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/tibet/lhasa/potala.htm
Jokhang Temple - it is situated in the old part of Lhasa, on Barkhor Square and is four-floor beauty. There are many legends about this place that makes the atmosphere around it more mystic. It is also protected by UNESCO and a final destination for Tibetan Pilgrims. Ticket fee is CNY 70 and the place is open from 9 to 18 but keep in mind that you will need at least 2 hours to see everything of it. http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/tibet/lhasa/jokhang.htm
Barkhor Street market - Except a very important path for pilgrims, the street is also a colorful market where you can see all kind of people selling all kind of stuff. You can bargain, buy, chat or just observe the whole picture which will remain as a very nice and vivid memory. http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/tibet/lhasa/barkhor.htm
Yangpachen - very different from the other landmarks in Tibet, Yangpachen is actually a place that gathers several unique resources - unique with its hot springs. For CNY 40 to CNY 100 you can enjoy the heat in some indoor and outdoor swimming pools and if you are lucky enough you can even have a hot bath during a snowfall. http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/tibet/lhasa/yabajing.htm
Tibet Museum - A very modern and even luxury museum that tries to present the whole history of Tibet. You can get headphones with an audio tour at the entrance which will give you more information for every object. It is open from 10 to 18 every day except Monday. http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/tibet/lhasa/tibet-museum.htm
Nietang Buddha - the statue is named after a mountain located 40 km from Lhasa. The piece of art is the largest stone graved statue in Tibet and is around 10 m high. http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/tibet/lhasa/nietang-buddha.htm
Lhasa Carpet Factory - a very interesting tourist spot where you can observe how a carpet is made. There are some techniques that can't be seen anywhere else. It is also a great idea to buy a carpet as a souvenir from Tiber which will be more interesting that a postcard. http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/tibet/lhasa/carpet_factory.htm
Ganden Monastery - the place has a great cultural historical and of course religious value and is a very large complex of several temples. It is opened from 09:00 to 16:00 and the admission fee is CNY 45. Normally you will need around 2 hour to see everything but due to the fact that it is located far from Lhasa (around 50km) you may need a whole day. http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/tibet/lhasa/ganden.htm
Chakpori Hill - very near to Potala Palace the hill rises 3725 meters from which you can see a magnificent panorama of old Lhasa. There are some figures of Buddha, several gods and scriptures engraved in the cliff. At its north part there is a spring which is believed to have holy waters. http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/tibet/lhasa/chakpori-hill.htm

AIRPORT
The main airport is located 100 kms from the center and is called Lhasa Gonggar Airport. It will take you around 2 hours to reach the city and there convenient buses from and to the airport.
There are regular flights from and to Hong Kong, Beinjing, Shangri-La and other big Chinese cities as well as international flights to Kathmandu, Nepal.

LOCAL TRANSPORTATION
Due to its position there are a lot of difficulties with the transport in Lhasa.

Buses: there are several bus lines that are quite comfortable. They are available in front of the main temples and landmarks as well as in the parking lots in front of the Jokhang Temple. It doesn't cost much and tickets can be bought in the bus or at the parking lot.
Taxis: they are cheap, around Y10 for anywhere in Lhasa city or you can agree onn some other price. Usually they don't turn on their meters.
Minibuses: if you go to see Norbulingka, Sera Monastery, Drepung Monastery it will be easier to hop on minibuses which operates these areas.
Cycle rickshaws: very popular and available almost everywhere, but rarely has a set price, you will have to bargain a lot till you have a deal.

HISTORY
In 16th C. Tiber was conquered by the The fifth Dalai Lama, Lobsang Gyatso who moved in Lhasa the whole administration. It was him that made is also a religious and cultural center and in 1645 began to reconstruct the Potala Palace which was used for a winter palace later. In the first half of 20th C many explorers began to visit the city and were astonished by the fact that it was a center of the Tibetan Buddhism and that more of the half population were monks and nuns. In 1951 there were around 25,000 people and 15,000 monks. Speaking about monks there is a curious thing happened between 1987 1989. There was a demonstrative against China led by many nuns and monks. As a result the Chinese government decided to make every monk re-educate. Those who refused went to prison or escaped to India, where they continued their studies.

CITY LINKS

Hospital of Traditional Tibetan Medicine - http://www.china-travel-tour-guide.com/attractions/tibetan-medicine-hospital.shtml
Lhasa map - http://www.tibettravel.info/lhasa/lhasa-map.html
Info center Lhasa - http://zt.tibet.cn/tibetzt/lasa/index.htm
People's Government of Lhasa Official Website - http://www.lasa.gov.cn/gb1/index.php

UNIVERSITY LINKS

Tibet university in Lhasa - http://www.lib.umich.edu/area/sasia/Tibet/Tibetan_collection_web/ts_resources.htm
Tibet university - http://www.hf.uio.no/tibetnorway/lhasa.htm