Lhasa Attractions

Lhasa is an international tourist city with amazing scenery and excellent cultural history. As the most popular tourist destination in Tibet, Lhasa has so many to offer. Those attractions can meet the need of anyone no matter he or she is interested in Tibetan religious history or natural views. Let's take a look at the following introduction of must-see attractions in Lhasa.

The Potala Palace

The Potala Palace is a holy place for all pilgrims. This highest and the most majestic palace is the most important symbol of Lhasa and even Tibet. So, it remains the most popular highlight of Tibet tours all the time. There are Buddhist pagodas, statues, murals, thangkas, and scripture books, among which the most striking are the eight pagodas of the Dalai Lama since the fifth generation. It is mainly composed of the Red Palace and White Palace. Religious ceremonies are usually held in Red Palace in the middle.

The Potala Palace

Barkhor Street

Barkhor Street is where tourists can completely experience local cultural customs with the traditional streets and Tibetan buildings. It is developed with the construction of the Jokhang Temple. As the most famous pilgrimage circuit and bustling commercial center, Barkhor Street is full of pilgrims and tourists all day long. Every day, there are some Tibetans here who are performing sacred prayer-turning ceremonies. Besides, there are shops selling all kinds of Tibetan clothing, handicrafts, and goods from India, Nepal and other places. Those famous restaurants in Lhasa are gathered here in Barkhor Street.

Barkhor Street

Jokhang Temple

Built in 647 AD, the Jokhang Temple was built by the Tibetan king Songtsan Gampo to commemorate Princess Wencheng to Tibet. After generations of constructions, it has developed into a huge building complex with a construction area of more than 25,100 square meters. In the center of the main hall is a gilded bronze statue of Sakyamuni brought by Princess Wencheng from Chang'an when he was 12 years old. The statues of Songtsen Gampo, Princess Wencheng, and other statues are enshrined in the two side halls. Many Tibetan believers travel so far to the Jokhang Temple to worship because it is the sanctuary for them.

Jokhang Temple

Namtso Lake

As the highest saline lake in this world, Namtso is another must-see destination in Lhasa if you travel to Tibet from July to September. Although it is about a 4-hour drive from Lhasa to Namtso, everyone will be shocked by its beauty once they get the first glance at it. It is a blue world that can lead every tourist to find holiness. The pure sky and water are magical to help people forget sorrows and troubles. However, due to its high altitude, tourists may experience severe altitude sickness. So, it is important to prepare for it and protect yourself.

Namtso Lake

Drepung Monastery

Built in 1416, Drepung Monastery is not only the largest and highest-status monastery of the Gelug sect of Tibetan Buddhism but also the largest monastery in the world. It is also known as one of the Great Three Monasteries of Lhasa. The magnificent main hall of Drepung Monastery can accommodate 8,000 people chanting at one time. As one of the biggest festivals in Tibet, Shoton Festival will be held here with the remarkable Buddha Thangka painting unveiling ceremony.

Drepung Monastery

Sera Monastery

Sera Monastery is one of the six main monasteries of the Gelug sect of Tibetan Buddhism. Together with Drepung Monastery and Ganden Monastery, they are called the Great Three Monasteries in Tibet. There are tens of thousands of Vajra Buddha statues preserved in Sera Monastery. Most of those statues were made locally in Tibet and some others were brought from mainland China or India. The northern debating courtyard is where Buddhist debating will be held. It is a must-see activity in Sera Monastery for tourists.

Sera Monastery

Ganden Monastery

Built by Je Tsongkhapa in 1409, Ganden Monastery is considered the 1st and primary monastery of the Gelug sect of Tibetan Buddhism. And it is also one of the Great Three Monasteries in Tibet. Even if it has been destroyed once, it still keeps many delicate murals and sculptures inside the monastery. If you are interested in Tibetan Buddhism, you definitely need a tour to Ganden Monastery.

Ganden Monastery

Tsurphu Monastery

Located around 60 kilometers west of Lhasa, Tsurphu Monastery enjoys an altitude of 4,300 meters above sea level. It is the seat of the Karmapa branch of the Kagyupa order of Tibetan Buddhism. Tsurphu Monastery has made a significant contribution to the entire Tibetan Buddhism and Tibetan culture. The 1st Karmapa, Dusum Khyenpa delivered the letter of his reincarnation to his main disciple, Drogon Rechen in Tsurphu Monastery. Thus, the world-known concept of reincarnation has been created and it was later popularized by other Tibetan sects. However, except for the culture, tourists can also take a look at those precious cultural relics here.

Tsurphu Cham Dance Festival of Tsurphu Monastery

Ramoche Monastery

Ramoche Monastery is revered as the Upper Tantra College by the Gelugpa School, about 500 meters to the north of Jokhang. It is said that the construction of this monastery was conducted by the artisans that Princess Wencheng brought from mainland China. Ramoche Monastery has a total footprint of around 4,000 square meters with a three-storey tall building as its primary structure. And the ground floor of that building has three Halls - the Gate Hall, Praying Hall and Buddha Statue Hall. The statue of Sakyamuni at an age of 12 in Jokhang Temple was originally placed in Ramoche Monastery.

Ramoche Monastery

Norbulingka

Located in the western suburbs of Lhasa, Norbulingka is only a 10 minutes drive from the Potala Palace. It is a typical surrounding park with Tibetan style that had served as the summer residence of the successive Dalai Lamas for many years. Norbulingka covers an area of 360,000 square meters  with more than 100 species of plants in the garden. Tourists can see flowers and trees that can be commonly seen in Lhasa, exotic flowers and plants from the northern and southern foothills of the Himalayas, and other precious plants from mainland China. In a word, Norbulingka is the garden with the largest scale, the best scenery and the most historic sites among the man-made gardens in Tibet.

Norbulingka

Yangpachen Hot Spring

Lies in Damxung County, 90 kilometers northwest of Lhasa, Yangpachen Hot Spring is a popular tourist destination in Lhasa. It is also called Yangbajain with an elevation of 4,300 meters on the plateau. It covers an area of 7,000 kilometers, featuring kinds of hot springs, as well as rare explosion springs and intermittent springs. Here offers outdoor and indoor hot spring pools. It feels different and amazing to experience the outdoor hot spring pools that are surrounded by snow-capped mountains. It is the first geothermal field developed on the Chinese mainland and the highest geothermal power station in the world.

Yangpachen Hot Spring

Tibet Museum

Tibet Museum is located in the southeast corner of Norbulingka with an area of 23,508 square meters. Its exhibition area is 10,451 square meters that displays kinds of prehistoric cultural relics, statues of Buddhas and Bodhisattva, hand-written scripture books, colorful Thangkas, kinds of instruments, Tibetan handicrafts, costumes, jewellery, pottery, etc. It is the first museum with modern functions in Tibet for tourists to understand the history better. All the exhibitions here are introduced in Chinese, English, Japanese, and Tibetan. So, Tibet Museum is a place with characteristics of both traditional Tibetan architecture and modern architecture.

However, Lhasa is not like any other city in China. You can feel totally different when you stay in Lhasa and Lhasa can always surprise you with some common but memorable moments. So, when you are traveling in Lhasa, do not consider it as a regular tour, but take it as a chance to find peace in your heart.