Lhasa, meaning the "sacred place of Buddhas" in Tibetan language, is an ancient city on the plateau with a history of over 1,300 year. It is the capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region and one of the famous historical and cultural cities in China. It is located in the center of Tibet, and has an elevation of over 3,500 meters - one of the highest cities in the world.

Potala Palace

Located in downtown Lhasa, the imposing Potala Palace was set up in the seventh century during the reign of King Songtsen Gampo, and covers an area of 41 hectares. The 13-storied main building, 115,703 meters in height, consists of the White and the Red palaces with 1,000 rooms, such as bedrooms, scripture rooms, stupas, and rooms for monks. It is the headquarters of the Dalai Lamas, and is a treasure house of traditional Tibetan culture.

Jokhang Monastery

Located in the old district of Lhasa, the monastery is a building complex and was built in the mid-seventh century. Facing west, the main structure is a four-storied building in the Tang style, but also incorporates features of Nepalese and Indian architecture.

Sera Monastery

The Sera Monastery lies at the foot of a mountain on the northern outskirts of Lhasa. It was built in 1419 by one of the eight disciples of Tsongkhapa, founder of the Ge-lug-pa Sect.

Norpulingkha

Situated in the western suburb of Lhasa, Norpulingkha (Treasure Garden) was built in the 1740s during the reign of the seventh Dalai Lama. Later it was renovated and enlarged, and became the Dalai Lama's Summer Palace.

Barkhor Street

In the center of the old Lhasa City, there is a place where the traditional features and lifestyle of the old city are still maintained. One can see pilgrims, with their pray wheels in hand, walking around the Jokhang Monastery and chanting sutra. As a market street, there are lots of shops.