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Lhasa (3,650m)
 Lhasa was and still is, the religious, cultural & economic
center of Tibet. Places of interest include the Potala, the 13
storey, 1,000 room palace of the Dalai Lama; the monasteries
of Drepung & Sera, the summer palace of the Dalai Lama,
Norbulinka; and the Jokhang, the holiest shrine in Tibet. The
circular Barkhor Street with innumerable shops & wayside
peddlers intermingle with the devotees walking clockwise
around the Jokhang infusing the magic that is Tibet.
Potala Palace
 Potala Palace, located on the red hill, was built in 640 A.D.
during the reign of Songtsen Gompo. The original Potala Palace
was destroyed in the 9th century but was rebuilt in the 17th
century during the reign of the 5th Dalai Lama. It is best
viewed from outside, where one can observe the different
aspects & moods of its sophisticated design. The architectural
wonder stands 117m high, has 13 stories and over 1,000 rooms.
The most poignant areas are the roof terraces housing the
Dalai Lama’s residences, the large courtyard & the spectacular
multi–storied interior atriums that extend upwards to the roof
terraces. It is replete with ancient artifacts; the sacred
statue of Arya Lokeshwara, ornate burial Chortens of the Dalai
Lamas, galleries and chapels noted for their murals, the
intricate three-dimensional Mandala & much more.
Norbulinka Park
Norbulinka means “the jeweled garden” is the summer palace of
the Dalai Lama. This large complex of small palaces like
Gesang Palace, Jianse Palace and Daktanmiju lies within a
walled garden that covers 360,000 sq. mts. The whole garden
consists of two main parts – Norbulinkha at the western area &
Jianselingka at the eastern area. It has fascinating murals in
excellent condition, superb Mandalas & frescoes.
Sera Monastery
Sera
means hail stone in Tibetan language. Set at the foot of the
Wudu hill to the north of Lhasa city, Sera comprises of a
great sutra chanting hall, a college and 32 sections that
covers 114,964 sq. mts. Founded by Jamchenchupje in 1419, Sera
was famous for its fighting monks, who spent years perfecting
the martial arts.
Jokhang Temple
 Jokhang
temple was built in 647 A.D and is the spiritual center of
Tibet and the holiest destination for Tibetan Buddhist
pilgrims. It houses the sitting statue of Sakyamuni, when he
was 12 years old. From dawn till dusk, one can see an
astounding display of chanting, prostrating pilgrims
circumambulating the temple. Hundreds of faces, ornaments,
clothes & colors swirl round in a gigantic whirlpool of
religious fervor.
Drepung Monastery
It
is located at the foot of the West Valley Mountain (Gyephel-Ou-Tse)
about 10 kms from Lhasa. Drepung Monastery was built by
Jamyang-Choje Tashi-Phiden in 1416 AD. Drepung is one of the
six largest monasteries of the Gelupa sect & comprises of six
main temples: Ganden Palace, Tsochen, Ngakpa, Losaling, Gomang
& Dyeyang. The main relics in these temples are image of
Maitreya, Yamantaka, Mitrukpa, Sutrakangyur with golden
letters, Thankas, Silk scrolls (which are very precious & are
rarely seen in the world), various gilded statures, Buddhist
scriptures & countless other cultural relics. There are
monastic colleges for the study of Philosophy & one for the
practice of Tantric Buddhism. The monastery covers an area of
over 20, 000 sq. mts.
Yarlung Valley
In
the trace of origins of Yarlung Valley, the Monkey Cave on Mt.
Gongpori tells us that Yarlung is the origin of the Tibetans.
The stone wares unearthed from Traduk & Yartu further confirm
that the Yarlung is the cradle of Tibetan civilization. Over
several thousands of years, Yarlung culture, as an important
component of Tibetan culture, has had an impact on the history
of Tibet & the country as a whole. The Yarlung people have
created their own unique folk culture including marriage
ceremonies, funeral arrangements, rites, clothing, food,
tattoo & farming that depicts a full picture of the good
nature of the people of the plateau.
The Yarlung River
 The
Yarlung River descends from the beautiful snow- capped Yarla
Shangpo Mountain, irrigating the fertile land through which,
it passes. The Yarlung people have lived generation after
generation on this piece of land with glorious flowers in
spring & sweet fruits in autumn.
Shigatse (3,900m)
Shigatse is most famous for its Tashilumpo Monastery – the
seats 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
& a mind-boggling collection of Thankas, frescoes & statues.
There is a bustling ‘free’ market at the foot of the ruins of
the Shigatse Fortress, where one can buy local handicrafts,
embedded with coral & turquoise, Tibetan draggers, Chinese
porcelain & yak butter.
Tashilumpo Monastery
Founded
by the first Dalai Lama, Gedun Drupa in 1447 is one of the
four “Yellow hat Sect” monasteries of Tibetan Buddhists. The
monastery comprises of congregation hall from 5th to 9th
century Panchen Lama’s stupa and chapels, the golden stupa of
10th century and the big Maitreya statue of the
Buddha in gold & copper alloy. It occupies an area of 300,000
sq. mts.
Gyantse (3,572m)
 Gyantse
is a small agricultural town famous for its woolen carpets &
the Phalkor Chorten. Amongst the Lamasery & the fort, this
unique structure built in 1414 AD consists of five stories
representing the five steps to enlightenment, topped by
thirteen rings, which symbolize the stages of advancement
towards Buddhahood. There are 108 halls inside, each with
frescoes & Buddha shrines, the frescoes showing a strong
Indian influence. Before 1959 traders coming from Kalimpong &
Gangtok used to enter Tibet through Yandong and then to
Gyantse, en route to Lhasa.
Samye Monastery
Established in the mid 8th century and covering an area of
25,000 sq. mts, Samye Monastery is located in Zhang county on
the northern bank of the Yarlung Zhangpo river. The
three–storey building was built in Han, Tibetan & Indian
styles. It was the first formal monastery in Tibet.
Khumbum Chorten
 This
stupa was one of the eight Buddhist stupas known as Tashi
Multi stupa that stood 42m high & was said to have 108 cells
containing venerable mural paintings & holy images amounting
to 1,00,000 pieces of art. The Chorten is located in Gyantse.
Xegar (4,350m)
Xegar is a new Chinese commune built at the foot of the ruins
of Xegar Dzong and is 7 km from the main highway. With a
population of about 3,000 inhabitants, its importance lies in
the fact that it is the center of this large and remote
country and also a base from where expeditions to Mt. Everest
& other peaks are launched from the Chinese side.
Zhangmu (2,350m)
Zhangmu, better known by its Tibetan name Khasa, is a small
settlement clinging to a hillside 10kms inland from the
Friendship Bridge across the Bhotekoshi river which serves as
the border with Nepal. After the closure of the China/India
border from Gangtok, Zhangmu has become the major trading post
between Tibet & Nepal. The hills around Zhangmu are heavily
wooded with innumerable waterfalls in the summer & frozen
‘icicles’ during the winter.
Mount Kailash & Mansarovar
 Mt.
Kailash claimed to be the apex of the Hindu religious axis is
also one of the highest mountain in Tibet at 6,656m and the
holy Lake Mansarovar at 4,700m lies closeby. Visitors can opt
to make the trip by surface to Kailash either via Kodari on
Nepal/Tibet border or on foot through remote west Nepal. The
walk around Mt. Kailash takes around three days while two days
are required for Lake Mansarovar. The best period to make this
tour is May through October.
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