Lhasa

The legal drinking age in Lhasa is 18 years.

Potala Palace

Located amidst the Lhasa City, Potala Palace gets its name from the Mount Potala which is the dedicated to the Goddess of Mercy. In 637, the palace was first built by the King Songtsen Gampo with an object of greeting his bride, Wen Cheng. She was the Princess from the Tang Dynasty in China. In the year 1994, the palace was listed as the UNESCO World Heritage. It is a 400 meters wide palace running from east to west and 350 meters running from north to south. The palace also has the sloping stone walls that are about 5 meters thick at the base and average 3 meters thick. Palace buildings has 13 storeys that can accommodate over 200,000 statues, 1,000 rooms and 10,000 shrines.

On the downtown of Lhasa city in the Barkhor Street lies the Jokhang Temple. This temple was first built during the rule of king Songsten Gampo. If legends are to be believed, the temple was built to impress one Nepali princess, Bhrikuti. Several artists from Nepal joined in the construction of the temple. For several locals, the Tibetans Jokhang Monastery is indeed the most important temple of Tibet. In the year 2000, the temple was added to the list of the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Norbulingka

Norbulingka is a palace styled park that lies at the west of Lhasa city. The construction of the park was commenced in the year 1755. Back then it was used as a summer resort as well as the religious center and administrative center for the successive Dalai Lamas right from 1780s to the self exile of the 14th Dalai Lama in the year 1959. Norbulingka was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the year 2001. It very well puts forth the Tibetan palace architecture. Often regarded as the best park of the Tibet, this is definitely one place to see in Lhasa.

Norbulingka park is regarded the first and best park in Tibet. Summer and autumn are at its best, becoming hubs of entertainment with dancing, singing, music and festivities.

Stunning views of Tibet

If you travel to Tibet via train, you can very well adore the breathtaking and marvelous which is simply going to take your breath away. The beauty city offers some stunning locations to live your love for photography. So, for mountain lovers and the photography freaks, Lhasa is an excellent sightseeing destination. From rivers to lakes and towering hills, Lhasa has got it all.  

Amazing Tibetan architecture

Are you a true admirer of great styles in architecture? If yes, Lhasa could be your dream destination. It is a striking amalgam of Indian and Chinese styles that put forth a deep Buddhist approach. You are definitely not going to be able to get your eyes off the well decorated doors and windows here. Further, you’ll be left agape with the designs of the Tibetan houses and temples along with the very power of Buddhism. Tibet indeed is the most magical and colorful place on this Earth.

Religious experience of Tibet

Lhasa is a great place to see. When there, you are definitely going to learn a lot about the Buddhist culture, traditions and customs. There is an array of monasteries, and temples that you can visit while having some light chit chats with the locals here who will definitely teach you a whole bunch of things if you are humble to them. You may already know by now that the most prominent religion in Tibet is Tibetan Buddhism that was introduced in the 7th century AD in Tibet. One of the most renowned Buddhism face is the Dalai Lama (14th) who is at present in India because of the Chinese oppression. When you are in Lhasa, one important thing to do is attending the public meetings and participating in prostrations where the locals play gongs and cymbals and even pray loudly.

Hospitable and humble Tibetan locals

Sadly, the travel regulations of the Lhasa tend to limit your interactions with the locals. The foreign visitors aren’t given a permission to the hang out with the locals or even stay in their houses for the night. Despite all the restrictions, you can still get the opportunity to know some of the Tibetan locals when you visit the monasteries or stop at the local tea houses here or even when you are introduced to the locals by your guide. When you converse with the Tibetans, you’ll get to see how friendly, humble and friendly these people are.  

Experiencing Tibetan cuisine

When you are in Lhasa, you simply cannot afford to miss out on the fried momos. Other things that you need to try out are the Thenthuk, yak meat wraps and the Naizha cake. The Tibetan cuisine is largely based on the dairy products – cheese and yak milk. It also  

offers an impeccable mix of spices and herbs, always yummy and fresh bread and the different kind of dumplings.  

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