Founded in 633 A.D. under the leadership of King Songtsen Gampo, with a history of over 1300 years, Lhasa, a famous historic city, is officially the capital city of the Tibetan Autonomous Region, as well as the political, economic, cultural and religious center of the Tibetan world. 

It is famous for being one of the highest cities in the world, a towering 3,760 meters above the banks of the Lhasa River, what really knocks you out here is the full scale impact on your senses of the breathtaking beauty, unique landscape and the holy atmosphere of this religious center. 

In Tibetan, Lhasa means 'The land of the Gods', or 'Holy Place'. Three out of the six most important Tibetan Buddhist Monasteries are in Lhasa. Almost one third of Tibetan Lamas practice and live in Lhasa, home to some of the world's richest religious relics.


Lhasa covers an area of 30,000 square kilometers, with a population of 400,000, 87% of which are Tibetans. The urban population is 180,000.

Major landmarks: Potala Palace, Jokhong Monastery, Sera Monastery, Drepung Temple, and Norbulinka Palace. Lhasa's original look and old lifestyle are largely intact at Barhkor Street in the old part of Lhasa, where all sorts of arts and crafts are on sale.

Lhasa is linked with Beijing, Chonqing, Chengdu, Xi'an and Kathmandu by airlines. The Xining-Lhasa and Chengdu-Lhasa highways also provide major accesses to Lhasa.