Entering Tibet you feel as if you've entered an entirely different world. Located in the southwest frontier of the People's Republic of China, Tibet Autonomous Region has an area of over 1.2 million sq. km., and a population of 2.3 million. With the average elevation of over 4,700 meters, Tibet is dubbed "the World Ridge" and "the Third Pole on the Globe". Famous for peculiar geological features, magnificent natural scenery, splendid ethnic culture and characteristic local customs and practices, Tibet has become the Holy Land for numerous Chinese and overseas travelers, mountain explorers and scientific surveyors.

Lhasa, the capital of China's Tibet Autonomous Region, has a history of more than 1,300 years. It is the political, economic, cultural and transport center of the region. Lhasa covers an area of 30,000 square km, with a population of 400,000, 87% of which are Tibetan people. Lhasa has an elevation of 3,650 meters. Blessed with flat land and mild weather, its average daily temperature is 8 degrees C (43 degrees F). It enjoys 3,000 hours of sunlight annually, hence the title of "sunlit city".

There are daily flights between Chengdu-Lhasa, and Beijing-Lhasa. However the now choice to go to Tibet is by train. It takes about 48 hours to reach Lhasa either from Beijing or Chengdu. The train travels up through the spectacular scenery of the high Tibetan plateau and finally brings you to Lhasa.

Potala Palace. Lhasa means "sacred land" in Tibetan, and Potala Palace, the architectural wonder in the center of Lhasa, is the symbol of this sacred land. When the thirty-third King of Tibet, Soongtsan Gampo, was married to Princess Wen Cheng of Tang Dynasty in 641 , he had 999 houses built on Hongshan Hill for his bride. The Buddhists later named it Potala Palace, meaning the sacred land of Buddhism. Potala Palace was constructed on the hill site. Surrounded by a wall three meters high, the thirteen-story palace is 110 meters tall, supported by over ten thousand pillars, with a construction area of 130,000 square meters. In the restored palace we see today, the white buildings on either side, called the White Palace, were built three hundred years ago by the fifth Dalai Lama as living quarters. The central building, called the Red Palace, was built by the disciple of the fifth Dalai Lama and contains mourning halls and libraries. Mural art is an intrinsic part of the architecture of Potala Palace. Every room, no matter how small, is decorated with colorful, vivid murals.

Norbu Lingka, which means "precious garden" in Tibetan, was the summer residence of many generations of Dalai Lamas, while Potala Palace was their winter residence. It lies one kilometer to the west of the Potala. This elegant palace contains many valuable objects, including gold, silver, jade, antiques, Buddhist artifacts, murals, and Luxury furniture.

Jokhang Monastery. Situated in Barkhor Street of the old Lhasa city, it was built in the 7th century. Literally, the name means "the sacred sanctuary". The temple monastery is a unique masterpiece of architectural art and religious art, as it has incorporated architectural features of the Tibetan and Han Nationalities as well as Indian and Nepalese characters.

Words from UNESCO: The Potala Palace, winter palace of the Dalai Lama since the 7th century, symbolizes Tibetan Buddhism and its central role in the traditional administration of Tibet. The complex, comprising the White and Red Palaces with their ancillary buildings, is built on Red Mountain in the centre of Lhasa Valley, at an altitude of 3,700m. Also founded in the 7th century, the Jokhang Temple Monastery is an exceptional Buddhist religious complex. Norbulingka, the Dalai Lama's former summer palace, constructed in the 18th century, is a masterpiece of Tibetan art. The beauty and originality of the architecture of these three sites, their rich ornamentation and harmonious integration in a striking landscape, add to their historic and religious interest.

Around Lhasa

Namtso Lake, the largest lake in Tibet, the second largest salty lake in China, has an area of 1,993 square kilometers. It is also known as Heavenly Sea. Legend has it that Namtso Lake is the beautiful daughter of nearby Bam Lake. She was married to the Nyainqentanglha Mountains. As time went by, she could not stand the frigid weather and loneliness any longer and so, with a sad heart, threw all her jewels, ornaments, and necklaces into the lake. Thus it is said that there are boundless treasures at the bottom of Namtso Lake. Dzashi Monastery on Dzashi Peninsula in Namtso Lake is a sacred place to Buddhists. Thousands of pilgrims travel a long way to worship here on the Tibetan New Year.

Shigatse means "fertile land" and stands at the junction of the Yarlong Tsangpo River and Nyangchu River. It is the capital of Shigatse prefecture. The 600 years old city is the traditional seat of the Panchen Lama, who is one of the two prestigious spiritual leaders in Tibet and the abbot of the Tashilhunpo Monastery. About 300 km from Lhasa, it is an important stop between Lhasa and west Tibet where pilgrims and tourists often wander. Shigatse has a population of over 80,000, of which 97% are Tibetan. It is the second largest city in Tibet.

Sakya Monastery (Sakya South). The monastery lies 130 kilometers (80 miles) southwest of Shigatse. Sakya, meaning "Grey Soil" in Tibetan since the soil around is grey, is the center monastery of Sakyapa sect of Tibetan Buddhism. Its wall was painted with red, white and grey strips, which represent Manjushri, Avalokiteshvara and Vajrapani respectively. Since the monastery has a colossal collection of highly valuable art pieces, it is deemed as "Second Dunhuang". The monastery is divided into the Northern Monastery and the Southern Monastery by Drum River. The Northern monastery was the first one which was founded by Khon Konchog Gyalpo in 1073, from which Sakyapa arose and once ruled Tibet. Unfortunately, it is nothing but ruins now due to severe destruction in the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976), however the ruins reflect its glory and resplendence. The Southern Monastery was built in 1268 by the fifth Sakya Throne Holder, Drogon Chogyal Phakpa, known as Phakpa. Phakpa was the spiritual guide of Kubilai khan, a Mongolian emperor who granted Phakpa secular and religious authority over Tibet. From him, Sakyapa ruled over 100 years in Tibet.

Shalu Monastery. Lying 20 kilometers (12 miles) south of Shigatse, the monastery was founded in 1040 by Chetsun Sherab Jungnay. Shalu, meaning New Bud in Tibetan, was named after a story. His teacher suggested him to built a monastery where his arrow hit. The flying arrow finally hit a new bud. In 1320, Buton Rinpoche, one of the greatest religious scholars was invited to be abbot of the monastery. Buton's religious knowledge covered so wide a range that he brought together the one hundred and eight volumes of the fundamental texts of Buddhism, Kanjur, and the two hundred volumes of "treaties and commentaries", Tenjur, and attracted over 3,000 monks to attend his teachings. However since he had no interest in politics, his sect was not very influential. The most magic feats of Shalupa were monks learned to raise their body temperature to such a level that they wore the simplest clothing to resist coldness and to run at superhuman leaps to cover a long range without rest. In 1329, the monastery was demolished in an earthquake and in 1333, Buton rebuilt it under the patron the Chinese Mongolian emperor. Since many Chinese Han artisans participated the reconstruction, the monastery combined Tibetan and Chinese style of the Yuan dynasty (1271-1368), the only one of its type existing in Tibet.

Tashilhunpo Monastery. Tashilhunpo lies 2kilometer (1.2 miles) west of Shigatse city.The monastery is a very influential monastery in Tibet. It was founded in 1477 by Gendun Drubpa, the first Dalai Lama and a most outstanding disciple of Tsong Khapa. In 1600, the Fourth Panchen Lama started a large-scale expansion and his successors carried on. The monastery now has a building space of 300 thousand square meters. In 1713, the Fifth Panchen Lama's title and status were finally ascertained by the Chinese emperor. The monastery became the seat of Panchen Lama.