Tibet: Lhasa Part 1, Apr 2024

By Beatrice Wong
August 19, 2024
7:30 pm
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After over a week in the Nyingchi, the Swiss Alps of Tibet, we arrive in the spiritual and political capital of Tibet, Lhasa. Sitting at 3,650m high, Lhasa translates to “Land of the Gods” and is the center of Tibetan Buddhism for over 1,300 years. The eastern part of the city is still very traditional and pilgrims can be seen engaging on a kora which is a clockwise circumambulation around the Jokhang Temple while spinning the countless prayer wheels. The western part of Lhasa is more modern and resembles other Chinese cities. Lhasa has been on my travel bucket list for a long time and finally my time to visit has arrived. The Tibetan architecture reminded me of my previous visit to Bhutan but Lhasa feels much busier especially in the whitewashed old Tibetan quarter near Jokhang Temple where prostrating pilgrims encircle the Barkhor pilgrim circuit amidst butter lamps and wafting incense. I stayed at the conveniently located St Regis Lhasa within walking distance to all the main sights.

My room at St Regis Lhasa

View of Potala Palace from the balcony of the bar at St Regis Lhasa

The first impression of Lhasa is no doubt the grand red-and-white Potala Palace soaring above the city. It was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1994 and was the religious and political center of old Tibet as well as the winter residence of Dalai Lamas. In 7th century AD, King Songtsen Gampo first built a fortress here for his two foreign wives. The palace was later rebuilt by the Fifth Dalai Lama in 1645 and then extended and repaired by the Thirteenth Dalai Lama into what it is today. Potala Palace is 14 stories high and houses over 1,000 rooms were the Dalai Lamas lived and prayed and golden stupas where they are laid to rest in eternity. Rare cultural relics and Buddhist scriptures are kept here and can be visited on guided palace tours. Make sure you book your ticket and time slot ahead of time as Potala Palace limits its visitors to 4,000 a day. The rooftop White Palace or Potrang Karpo is used as the living quarters as well as the offices of the Dalai Lama while the central Red Palace or Potrang Marpo is used for religious studies and prayers. Golden stupas or chortens of several previous Dalai Lamas can also be found in the Red Palace.

Potala Palace from Chakpori Hill or Yao Wang Shan (藥王山), meaning Hill of Medicine King. Chakpori Hill is located to the southwest of Potala Palace a few minutes’ walk from the west gate of the palace. This vantage point has the same view of Potala Palace as the one on the back of the 50-yuan bank note.