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The Barkhor is the central one of Lhasa's three sacred holy circuits and the most atmospheric part of Lhasa. Here you will see the devout prostrating themselves around this bustling circuit that surrounds the Jokhang Temple. Tibetan pilgrims walk in a clockwise direction and you can't help but be caught up in the excitement of the area. On arrival in Lhasa an initial visit here fills one with the excitement of what lies ahead and most likely a number of return visits will be made to this bustling part of town. Evening is when the largest number of worshipers and pilgrims descend on the area and a visit at this time is highly recommended. Spending some time 'getting lost' in this area is often a highlight of a visit to Lhasa as one really gets to soak up street level life and feel the pulse of this vibrant area. |
The Jokhang is not only the spiritual and religious heart of Lhasa; it's also the heart of Tibet for the entire Tibetan race. It is one of the two temples built in the 7th century by King Songsten Gampo to house the Buddhist deities brought to Tibet by his Chinese and Nepalese brides. Originally the deity brought by his Nepalese wife was housed here. The Jokhang has been extended and rebuilt over the years and the outdoor courtyard was used for Lhasa's most important ceremonies with all the senior monks of the great Gelugpa monasteries (Ganden, Drepung and Sera) gathering here. The Inner Sanctum has stunning wall frescoes and offers a wonderfully atmospheric respite from the busyness of outside. The numerous chapels are all interesting as is watching the pilgrims file in for their ultimate visit on their religious pilgrimages. The roof is a delightful spot and offers fascinating views over the Temple and the city beyond. |
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Drepung Monastery is one of Eastern journeys favourite monasteries in all of Tibet and a morning visit allows one to see the Pilgrims starting their visit and which adds so much to the experience of visiting this imposing Monastery which still has a tremendous sense of community and which feels more alive than some of Tibet's other monasteries. Drepung means 'Rice Heaps', a reflection of its collection of white buildings seen against the rocky hill-side. |
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Dating from 1416 when disciples of Tsongkhapa (who founded Ganden and the Gelugpa Order) set up their school here, Drepung quickly established its position as one of Tibet's leading schools of learning and soon became one of the world's largest monasteries with over 10,000 monks in residence. Home at one point for the early Dalai Lama's, Drepung was the centre of government before the capital moved to its current site, a few miles away, at the Potala. The monastery had 4 colleges being the residences of monks from different parts of the country and its Assembly Hall is not only impressive but also atmospheric. The Monastery's kitchen is fascinating and a good place to leave Donations. As mentioned above one of the highlights of a visit to Drepung is to watch the Pilgrims making their visits and the scent of Juniper being burnt as offerings adds to the atmosphere and experience of a visit here. |
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Sera Monastery dates from the same time as Drepung (1418) and was another of the Gelugpa's great schools of learning and which used to have about 7,000 monks in residence though it was always a more politicised institution when compared with the area's other monasteries. Extensively destroyed when the Chinese came to Lhasa and also during the Cultural Revolution, Sera is once again an active monastery and known for its daily afternoon debating sessions when younger novice monks practise their knowledge of Buddhist theology in debates with each other, in preparation for monastic examinations. It's a fascinating sight and worthy of a seat in a shaded corner to soak up the atmosphere whilst trying to ignore the photo snapping tourist groups that come and go every few minutes. In its Assembly Hall a sense of ceremony and tradition is evident. |
| The Potala Palace is one of the world's most imposing sights and is built on Red Hill at the very heart of the city and has 13 floors with over 1,000 rooms whilst it is reputed to hold over 10,000 shrines and 200,000 images. The first building on Red Hill was King Songsten Gampo's Palace in the 7th century whilst The Potala dates from 1645 when the 5th Dalai Lama started building his Palace and centre of administration and though the White Palace was finished in 1648 the Red Palace wasn't completed until 1694, twelve years after his death. The Potala was the home for successive Dalai Lama's until the current Dalai Lama fled to India on 20th March 1959. The White Palace was the offices and living quarters whilst the Red Palace was reserved for religious activities and thus has a greater number of chapels and shrines. Inside the Potala one also finds the burial Stupas of the 5th and 7th to 13th Dalai Lama's as well as some of the most amazing mandala's and wall frescoes – make sure you see the wall frescoes in the western Audience Hall. Today a visit to the Potala is a visit to a Museum though sadly one that doesn't have the 'buzz' that is found at the more atmospheric Jokhang Temple and Drepung and Ganden Monasteries. The Potala has a lot of steps. |
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The Norbulingka was the Dalai Lama's Summer Palace and likely a welcome reprieve from the grandeur and ceremony of the Potala. The 7th Dalai Lama built the first Palace here in 1755 and successive rulers constructed their own Palaces, which are more like private homes though it's those of the 13th and 14th Dalai Lama's that attract most interest. Today, the Norbulingka has a rather musty and unloved feel to it and this is especially true when one visits the 14th (and current) Dalai Lama's residence. Built in 1954 it was his retreat from a Tibet that was in the grips of being consumed by China and he lived here for only five years before he fled for India in March 1959. The Palace remains exactly as the Dalai Lama left it and is an interesting afternoon visit though worth missing if time is limited. |
The Tibetan Medical School offers a unique insight into the ancient art of Tibetan medicine which has similarities with other Asian schools of medical thought and practice and is believed by a number of scholars to have had its roots in Ancient Greece, travelling to Asia via India. Tibetan medicine is extremely complicated - Western medicine treats the symptoms that a patient has whereas Tibetan and most Asian medical thought believes that the symptoms are a sign of an underlying imbalance in the body and that these are what must be treated. Tibetan medical thought believes that a female and a male both have 360 separately harmful influences, that there are 360 negative influences stemming from past karma and 360 benevolent influences borne by the water spirits which all combine to offer 404 basic disorders and a total of 84,000 illnesses! Pulse is the key determinant of what needs treating and the medicines are all herbal based. We can offer a short introduction to this very complex subject at the City's Traditional Medicine Hospital, which is a wonderful way of further helping to understand the Tibetan psyche. |
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Ganden Monastery is wonderfully located in a bowl-like amphitheatre high in the hills (4,300 meters or 14,000 feet) overlooking the Kyichu Valley. Established by Tsongkhapa in 1409 this was to become the first of Tibet's great Gelugpa sect (Yellow Hat) monasteries and at its height was the country's 2nd largest. Extensively destroyed in 1959, 1966 and again during the Cultural Revolution, Ganden is once again buzzing with activity and a visit here (as it isn't as highly visited as many of the area's other monasteries) is to many of our guests a highlight of their visit to Lhasa. As with other Gelugpa monasteries Ganden has four colleges and we are normally able to allow visits to the classrooms where the Monks are being taught in logic, philosophy or the scriptures and which allows one to see a much more human side of this extremely confusing religion! Ganden has an amazing Kora (Pilgrim Circuit) which offers great views though with the altitude we do suggest leaving this for one of your last days in Lhasa and allowing about 2 hours to walk the Kora. |
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| Shopping- Shops and Markets |
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| Lhasa offers interesting market stalls in the area around the Barkhor, where one needs to enthusiastically negotiate all prices. Apart from the trinkets that are on sale here the only other shopping destination is an excellent shop called Dropenling, which supports a number of home-based artisan craftspeople, though its selection is relatively limited. |
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| Restaurants and Evening Entertainment |
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Lhasa is not known for its culinary or entertainment offerings and alongside the hotel restaurants, the city has a small number of western run restaurants that make for a pleasant change. Generally small and with simple menu's they are located in or around the Tibetan part of town, centred on the Jokhang. Being close to Nepal and India, these cuisines are also well represented. Lhasa has very limited night-life though with the altitude one is more likely to crave an early night and a good sleep! |
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Other
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Getting around Lhasa is relatively easy and in the Tibetan part of town, around the Bharkhor, walking is the only means of getting around and although it may seem confusing eventually one always ends up on the Bharkhor circuit.
Taxi's are relatively easy to find though please ensure you have your destination and hotel address written in Tibetan and Chinese before setting out.
Lhasa sees a huge influx of 'tourists' during the summer months of June, July and August as well as during the Chinese holidays during the 1st weeks of May and October. The ideal times to visit are Spring and Autumn when the weather is relatively good and there are fewer tour groups. |
| Lhasa has a relatively straight forward climate with spring and autumn offering crisp blue skies though a possibly large temperature variation between night and day whilst the summer months of June, July and August tend to be warm with the highest likelihood of rain. |
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