Lhasa, with a history of 1,300 years, is the administrative capital city of the Tibet Autonomous Region. Located at the foot of Mount Gephel at the north of the Lhasa River, which is a branch of the zigzag Yarlung Zangbo River, Lhasa is 3,650 meters above sea level.
Lhasa literally means "place of the gods", although ancient Tibetan documents and inscriptions demonstrate that the place was called Rasa, which means "goat's place", until the early 7th century. In the Tibetan language, Lhasa means the Holy Land or the Buddha Land.
The city is part of a township prefecture, the Lhasa Prefecture consisting of 7 small counties: Lhünzhub County, Damxung County, Nyêmo County, Qüxü County, Doilungdêqên County, Dagzê County and Maizhokunggar County.
The city covers a total area of over 30,000 square kilometers, with an urban area of 523 square kilometers. And there are 31 nationalities such as Tibetan, Han and Hui, etc., and Tibetans accounting for 87% of the total population.
Lhasa which was established during the 633 A.D. during that time the King Songtsan Gampo was reigning in Tibet. After the liberation of Tibet on May 23, 1951, a new chapter was opened for Lhasa City.
Only in the early 1960s did the citizens of Lhasa begin to feel happy and relaxed, and only in the 1980s did new construction give the city a modern air an overall appearance that leaves visitors with a snug feeling. In 1982, the city was proclaimed as one of the first 24 historical-cultural cities by the State Council.
The city has also been appointed as one of the 24 historical and cultural cities of China. Its unique scenery, exotic culture, mystical religion and spectacular monuments will ensure your stay is unforgettable.
More and more people from every corner of the world are being attracted towards this vibrant city with its mysterious culture because the city impresses the visitors with the blue sky, clean water, fresh air and pleasant environment. Endowed by nature with pure water and air, Lhasa is the least polluted city with the best environment in China.
Lhasa is a religious place and many tourist attractions of this city are also regarded as religious places. That is why Lhasa is considered in Tibet as "The Land of Gods". In spite of being ruled by the Republic of China, Lhasa, Tibet highly reflects the Tibetan culture and traditions.
Lhasa is known as the "city of sunlight" generally the period from March to October is the best time to visit Tibet. The annual rainfall is between 200mm and 500mm, and concentrates from June to September, with most cases of night rains.
The temperature ranges from 14 to 28 Celsius, with huge changes from day to day. The air is thin with heavy winds; the weather is dry in winter and in summer cool. It may snow in June, but the city is still bathed in sunshine and the sky is sapphire blue color.
There are so many tourist attractions in the city. Thousands of people from allover the world comes to visit this place. In addition, there are also the Potala Palace, the Norbulingka, the Jokhang and Ramcho monasteries and Ganden, Sera and Drepung monasteries.
Travel to Lhasa is more challenging than in any other part of China. It is a magical place that makes it unique.