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Lhasa :
Lhasa, the capital of China's Tibet Autonomous
Region, has a history of more than 1,300 years.
It is the political, economic, cultural and
transport center of the region. Lhasa covers an
area of close to 30,000 square km. It has a
downtown of 544 square km and a population of
400,000; 140,000 of its people live in the
downtown area. Lhasa is home to the Tibetan,
Han, and Hui peoples, as well as many other
ethnic groups, but the Tibetan ethnic group
makes up 87 percent of the total population.
Lhasa has beautiful scenery. The Lhasa River,
known as the "merry blue waves," runs through
the snow-covered peaks and gullies of the
Nyainqentanglha Mountains, extending 315 km. The
river empties into the Yarlung Zangbo River at
Quxu, forming a scenic wonder that features blue
and white water waves.
Located at the bottom of a small basin
surrounded by mountains, Lhasa has an elevation
of 3,650 meters and sits at 91'06E and 29'36N,
the center of the Tibet Plateau. Blessed with
flat land and mild weather, Lhasa is free of
frigid winters and unbearably hot summers,
having an annual average daily temperature of 8
degrees C (43 degrees F). It enjoys 3,000 hours
of sunlight annually, much more than all other
cities in this regard, giving the city its title
of "sunlit city."
Tsedang :
Tsedang (Zetang) is the birthplace of earliest
Tibetans and the political and economical centre
of Shangnan prefecture. It sits on the south
bank in the middle section of the Yarlung
Tsangbo River with a moderate climate at an
altitude of 3,600 meters.
The nearby Yarlung River scenic area is a
national scenic park with Samye Monastery, Yumbu
Lhakang Palace, burial site for Tsampos and
Traduk Monastery spotting the region. It is
located between two mountain ranges at the
northern side of Himalayas, to the south of
Nyanchen Tanggula mountains, just by the Yalong
zangbu river, with land area over 800,000 square
kilometers. The Yalong river flows from the
south through the area and empty itself into
Yalong zangbu river, hence the Yalong river
formed a huge river delta at its end when it
merges into another.
Shigatse :
Shigatse, also Xigatse, means "fertile land" and
stands at the junction of the Yarlong Tsangpo
and Nyangchu River. It used to be the capital of
Tsang and now is the capital of Shigatse
prefecture. The 600 year old city is the
traditional seat of the Panchen Lama, who is one
of the two prestigious spiritual leaders in
Tibet and the abbot of the Tashilhunpo
Monastery. About 300 km from Lhasa, it is an
important stop between Lhasa and west Tibet
where pilgrims and tourists often wander.
Shigatse has a population of over 80,000, of
which 97% are Tibetan. It is the second largest
city within Tibet has undergone large scale
development. Most tourist facilities stand along
Jiefang Dong Lu, Beijing Bei Lu, Zhufeng Lu and
Shandong Lu. West of the market and below the
Dzong is the old Tibetan quarter where many
people like to visit.
Shigatse, the second biggest city in Tibet is
situated at the altitude of 12,600 ft. It is the
famous city for its great Tashilhunpo Monastery
- the seat of the Panchen Lama, who is regarded
as the reincarnation of the Buddha of Endless
Enlightenment. Items of interest inside this
monastery built in 1447 by the First Dalai Lama
are: the relics of Sakyamuni, the Hall of
Maitreya, and a incredible collection of thanks,
frescoes and statues. There is also a dynamic
'free' market where one can buy local handicraft
embedded with coral and turquoise, Tibetan
Daggers, Chinese pottery and yak butter. Since
it is the second biggest city of Tibet, it is
the center for transportation and distribution
of agriculture and other products.
Potala Palace :
The Potala, one of the most famous architectural
works, is erected on top of the Red Hill in
Lhasa. The word "Potala" comes from Sanskrit. In
7th century, after the Tibetan King Songtsen
Gampo's marriage with Princes Wencheng of the
Tang Court, the Palace was built for meditation.
In the mid -17th century, it was rebuilt by the
5th Dalai Lama to its present size, and ever
since it became the Winter Palace of the Dalai
Lamas. The construction took fifty years from
its beginning to completion. The Potala is
divided into two sections, namely, the Red
Palace and White Palace. The total height of the
Potala is 117m which is built in thirteen
storey, the length of the Potala from east to
west has 400m and the breadth from south to
north has 350m. The whole building is a
structure of stone and timber. The top most flat
glistens with golden roofs. It is a majestic
architectural work and the cream of Tibetan
culture and complex of Tibetan and Han culture.
Tholing :
Tholing, at the center of Zanda xian, was the
most historical and important monastery of west
Tibet, and its influence extended all the way
from Kashmir. It was built in the 11th
century.Tholing is, in all likelihood, the only
place in Tibet with a meaningful collection of
this distinctive art form. Tholing architecture
was strongly influenced by designs from Yarlung
era (7th-9th century).Tholing also provides you
many low passes, many others artistic
monasteries and wonderful landscape.
Purang :
Purang , also known as, Taklakot is on of the
most fascinating places in west Tibet. Purang
provides you Tibetan life style, the largest
monastic institution in the region, Nepalese and
Tibetan market center, cave monastery, Gurla
mandate mountains views and natural beauties..
The Jokhang Temple :
The Jokhang Temple , situated in the center of
old Lhasa, was originally built in 647 AD. It
was built by craftsmen from Tibet, China and
Nepal thus features different architectural
styles. The Jokhang is the spiritual center of
Tibet and the holiest destination for all
Tibetan Buddhist pilgrims. In the central hall
is the Jokhang's oldest and most precious object
- a sitting statue of Sakyamuni. This was
carried to Tibet by Princess Wen Cheng from her
home in Changan in 700 AD. The three-leaves roof
of the Jokhang offers splendid views of the
Barkhor Street, the bustling Barkhor market,
across to the Potala Palace.
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