Sightseeing in Lhasa - what to see. Complete travel guide

According to local legends, Songtsen Gampo, the Tibetan emperor, was the founder of Lhasa. The king, who ruled in the first half of the 7th century, chose Lhasa the capital of his empire. However, historic records prove that the center of the Tibetan Empire was changed several times to different Chinese cities. When Lhasa became the capital of Tibet, it started growing in size and developing quickly. This is when the first large monasteries appeared in the city. Numerous students of Je Tsongkhapa studied here. In the 17th century, the 5th Dalai Lama decided to make Tibet his own. He also made Lhasa the region’s administrative center.
The Drak Yerpa Monastery is one of the main sacred shrines in Lhasa. Why is this place so special? Great Padmasambhava spent time meditating in this monastery in the past. His wife was meditating with him. When the couple left the monastery, the sacred building became one of the main treasures in the city. Drak Yerpa consists of numerous caves, in which monks meditate, and the central temple. The caves were made in this area before the emergence of Buddhism, but the monastery has always been a Buddhist one.

In Lhasa, tourists can visit a beautiful museum – the Potala Palace. All year round, thousands of Buddhist pilgrims arrive here in order to perform “kora”, a special ritual circuit. There are ritual drums along the route of the kora pilgrimage. The history of the palace started in the first half of the 7th century. Initially, a pavilion for meditations appeared on the site of the palace that we can see nowadays. The Tibetan king of that time, Songtsen Gampo, felt calm and peaceful in the pavilion, and so he decided to turn it into a big palace.

To get to Lhasa, tourists usually fly to a big Chinese city first. Flights to Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou are the most popular. There are daily flights to the capital of China from many countries of the world. Having arrived in any of these cities, tourists can choose a flight directly to Lhasa. Airplanes arrive at Lhasa Gonggar Airport. After that, tourists can reach the city center by public transport (buses) or call a taxi.
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City tours, excursions and tickets in Lhasa and surroundings
Sights around Lhasa from our guide 'Extreme places on Earth'
Potala Palace
From the series “The Most Inaccessible Buildings in the World”
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Distance from Lhasa center - 5.7 km.
According to the historical data, the construction of the palace complex began in 1645 under the direction of Dalai Lamas V. The construction of the White Palace had already been completed three years later. The architecture of the castle complex is unique and consists of the numerous buildings, steep stairs and terraces of the incredible combination. It is no wonder, as the best masters from Tibet, China and Nepal were invited to build the palace in the 17th century. The visitors of the palace can stroll through the spacious pavilions and pre-mimic the dwelling-houses that once belonged to the teacher and regent Dalai Lamas. On the territory of the castle complex is also the famous Fa-Vana Cave - an important Buddhist sight. …
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