TIBET - Destinations & Hotels
Lhasa
This fascinating city dates back to the 7th century A.D when the colorful Tibetan figure, Songtsen Gampo, built his palace in Lhasa. It was back in 1642 when the 5th Dalai Lama made Lhasa his capital and rebuilt the architectural masterpiece, the Potala Palace.
Today Lhasa is still more of a quiet provincial capital relatively untouched by tourism and although some of the main sites can get quite busy take one small turn and you will quickly find yourself in a picturesque scene from postcard rural Tibet.
With so many holy sites, Lhasa is an important place of pilgrimage for people from far-flung villages and intrepid international travellers alike. You will always be surrounded by colorful people, striking natural scenery, the humbling Himalayan Mountains, flowing rivers, and fields of green, gold and yellow.
Lhasa itself is a mixture of old and modern (ish) with an eclectic mix of people, Tibetans with their colorful clothes as well as explorers, mountaineers and tourists from all over the world, and even in the face of the pressures put forth by Chinese rule, the Tibetan people clutch proudly to their traditions and cultural identity.
