Lhasa

Capital of Tibet Autonomous Region, on the Yarlung Tsangpo plateau at 3,656m. Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, the Barkhor pilgrimage circuit. Independent travel is restricted; Tibet Travel Permit required.

Lhasa, at 3,656 metres above sea level, is the political capital and spiritual centre of Tibet. The Potala Palace, former winter residence of the Dalai Lamas, rises thirteen storeys above the valley on Marpori (Red Hill) and is visible from most of the city. The Jokhang Temple — built in the 7th century CE under King Songtsen Gampo — is the spiritual centre of Tibetan Buddhism; pilgrims come from across the Tibetan plateau to prostrate themselves along the Barkhor, the circular pilgrimage street surrounding the temple.

The old Tibetan quarter (Barkhor area) is a navigable cluster of lanes with tea houses, incense sellers, thangka painters and hardware stalls for monastery supplies. It functions as a working neighbourhood as well as a pilgrimage circuit. Beyond it, the modern Lhasa built since the 1980s is a standard Chinese provincial city.

Drepung Monastery (1416 CE), 8 km west of the city, was one of the largest monasteries in the world before 1959 and still supports a significant monk population. Sera Monastery (1419 CE) holds afternoon philosophical debate sessions in the courtyard — a genuine practice rather than a performance, but visitors are welcome to observe. Norbulingka, the former summer palace of the Dalai Lamas, has extensive gardens.

All visits to Lhasa require the Tibet Travel Permit, issued only through licensed travel agencies. Independent travel is not permitted. Altitude sickness is common at 3,656 metres; the standard advice is to spend the first day resting, stay hydrated, and avoid strenuous activity until acclimatised. The Qinghai-Tibet Railway from Xining, the world's highest railway, arrives at Lhasa after a 22-hour journey through plateau landscapes at over 5,000 metres.