Lhasa Things to Do

This is the oldest street in Lhasa. Traditional white buildings are decorated with prayer flags and Tibetan designs. Barkhor Street is also a popular pilgrim route. Vendors line both sides of the street, selling a varieties of things from fruits and vegetables to souvenir items. There are numerous temples, restaurants and shops hidden behind the stalls. The lanesin the area is like a maze, if you don't like to get lost, just walk along the main street around Jokhang Temple.

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The Jokhang was built in 647. It is right in the middle of a busy pilgrimage route in the city center. It is a huge temple, with many halls inside. You can't take photos inside the main hall, which housed many historical antiques from centuries ago, including sculptures that were brought by Princess WenCheng of the Tang dynasty. She was married to the Tibetan King in the 7th century.

From the rooftop, you can get a good view of the surrounding traditional houses, the busy Jokhang Square and the Potala Palace. Snow cap mountains around Lhasa can be seen as well.

Admission is 70 RMB.

The Potala Palace is a massive structure situated on the top of a hill above the city of Lhasa. Built in the 7th century, it was once the home of Princess WenCheng of the Tang dynasty, who came from China to marry the Tibetan King. It was rebuilt by Dalai Lama in 1645, since then, it was transformed into the political center of Tibet.

It costs 100 RMB to get in, a very pricey admission. compare to the local cost of living. I don't think pilgrims have to pay anything to get in. But it is free to walk around the pilgrim route surrounding the palace. I only walked the pilgrim route and didn't enter the palace, as many travellers told me that it is kind of depressing to see the inside. The wall murals and stupas remained, but those who should be there were not...

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The summer residence of the 14th Dalai Lama is a pilgrimage site for Tibetans, who leave katas and other various offerings here. The building dates from 1956 and this was the exact spot where the Dalai Lama spent his last few hours meditating before fleeing to India.

Assembly Hall
You can see murals depicting a detailed history of Tibet, from the mythical beginning to the 14th Dalai Lama.

The Dalai Lama’s Study Chambers
In this room there is a beautiful tanka of Atisha

The Dalai Lama’s Bedroom
Here you can see the Dalai Lama’s art-deco bed and a 1956 Phillips radio which he received as a gift from India. Note the state-of-the-art plumbing in the adjacent bathroom.

Reception hall
The carved golden throne found in this room was used to carry the Dalai Lama when he went outside the Norbulinka on special occasions. The wall has beautiful murals, covering one entire wall, showing the 14th Dalai Lam with his mother, ministers, secretary, tutors, foreign dignitaries and relatives, The mural, which was painted in 1956 by artist Amdo Jampa, also shows several mythical figures. On the opposite wall are portraits of several other Dalai Lamas.

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The summer palace of the Dalai Lama, which is said to have been preferable to the Potala Palace as the rat population was less. The first palace was built by the 7th Dalai Lama in 1755 as a place where he could handle political affairs, practice religious activities and spend holidays. Today there are three palaces in the park. During the days of the 8th Dalai Lama, a lake was dug and now there is also a zoo in the park. The name means ‘jewelled garden’ and the Dalai Lama would spend six months of the year here. A number of the buildings here were destroyed during the 1959 uprising, and the once magnificent gardens are now mostly derelict. The summer palace is on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

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The Stables – Chibrakhang – consists of two buildings, currently under renovation. I was fascinated by the work going on, most carried out by women, and the speed at which they were working. There are said to be some striking murals depicting horses inside, but these were obviously currently out of bounds.

The summer residence of the 7th Dalai Lama, dating from the 18th century and containing tankas depicting White Tara. On a viewing platform on the Eastern Wall the Dalai Lamas would sit and watch performances held in the opera grounds. These are still held during the Yogurt Festival in August/September. The central feature of this complex is the Reception Hall which is lovely and bright, thanks to sunlight being admitted through a skylight. Here you can find the Dalai Lama’s throne. There are life size images of Buddha and many tankas, private apartments an murals

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Built in 1922, this was the summer residence of the 13th Dalai Lama. In the courtyard you will find a display of vehicles, ranging from palanquins (sedan chair) to landaus (horse drawn carriage), bicycles and several cars. Until the 1950s, the wheel was rarely used in Tibet, and motorised transport was banned by the monasteries. The cars, gifted to the Dalai Lama by the British, would have been carried in from India, over the Himalayas in pieces by yaks, and reassembled in Lhasa. These were the only cars in Tibet at that time (one carried the number-plate Tibet1) and were only used for very special occasions. Of course, there were few roads at the time, and fuel had to be carried in from India. One of the cars was later converted to power a generator for the 14th Dalai Lama’s cinema.