Lhasa City Tour

This morning we will visit the Potala Palace, which is reputed as the place closest to the sky for its height of 3,700 meters above sea level. The main structure of the Potala Palace consists of two parts: the White Palace and the Red Palace. The two palaces have different functions. The White Palace, the winter palace of the Dalai Lama (Tibetan Buddhist leader), was once the site of the office of the Tibetan local government. The Red Palace, which is in the middle of the Potala Palace, is the place for various pagodas and Buddhist halls. The entire Potala Palace is regarded as one museum of architectural and Buddhist art. On the one hand, it boasts exquisite architectural craftsmanship, which is embodied in murals, paintings, and wood carvings. On the other hand, its carving art incorporates the Buddhist art techniques of the Han Dynasty(202BC-220AD), India, and Nepal. The castle-like building complex is built on the mountainside where a large area of stone walls stand in rows. When you stand at one high place of the palace, you can overlook the magnificent mountains and remote scenery. Besides, as its high altitude, it seems that you could touch the blue sky and clouds when you raise your hands.

After lunch, you will go to visit the Jokhang Temple. Jokhang Temple was built by the Tibetan King Songtsan Gampo during the heyday of the Tubo Dynasty in the seventh century. Located in the center of the old urban area of Lhasa city, it is a Tibetan Buddhist temple. It is said this temple was built to worship a Buddha–Gautama Buddha. The temple was originally named Resa Temple in honor of a God of Goat which had carried plenty of earth for the building of the temple. In Tibetan “Re” refers to the goat and “Sa” refers to the earth. Jokhang Temple is the belief center of Tibetan Buddhism. Everyday, there are many Buddhists praying by burning joss sticks. Besides, you may see pilgrims touching the knees of Gautama Buddha statue with their forehead. As in Tibetan Buddhism, such a behavior means they can get the blessings of Gautama Buddha for themselves, their friends, and their relatives. If you are interested in it, you might as well have a try.

Next, we will come to Barkhor Street. The street was not named for its shape but its function. It is a street in round shape which is like a huge clock revolving around the Jokhang Temple. At first, it was just an ordinary road, but later it became a famous path for pilgrimage because of the Jokhang Temple. Besides, the Barkhor Street is also a noted commercial center. Here you can enjoy the fun of shopping. There are so many distinctive Tibetan-style handicrafts and wonderful foreign products that it is easy for you to select what you want. In addition, there are lots of Tibetans live along the street. You can also experience the local customs and traditions during this Tibet tour.

Jokhang Temple

Potala Palace

This morning we will begin with Norbulingka. Norbulingka, commonly known as the Summer Palace of Lhasa, is situated in the western suburbs of Lhasa. This beautiful palace began to be built during the reign of the seventh Dalai Lama in the mid-18th century. The whole palace occupies an area of 0.46 square kilometers with more than 370 rooms of different sizes. In the past, it was the palace for successive Dalai Lamas to spend the hot summer. They would move to this cool place upon the coming of each summer. It was also the place where they handled government affairs, besides, religious activities would also be held here. Today, the Norbulingka has become one popular attraction, where you will see various halls, waterside pavilions and plants.

After visiting Norbulingka, we will go to Drepung Monastery. Located in the western suburbs of Lhasa, it is one of the six major monasteries of the Gelug Sect of Tibetan Buddhism and the largest monastery in Tibet and even in the world. Since its establishment in 1464, Drepung Monastery has soon developed into the most powerful one among the Gelug Sect monasteries. Every year, there will be some activities held in Drepung Monastery, of which the biggest one is the “Sho Dun Festival”. It is a kind of yogurt feast in Tibetan culture. It was originally a purely religious activity. Later it developed into an activity combining religious activities and recreational activities.

After lunch, we will visit Sera Monastery. It is one of the three famous monasteries in Tibet. There are many halls, murals and statues in this monastery. The name “Sera” means wild rose in Tibetan. About its name, there is a story. It is said that when the monastery was found, the wild roses inside were in full blossom and therefore it was named after this flower. In Tibet, many monasteries have the sutra debates, of which the sutra debates in Sera Monastery are more attractive than that in any other Tibetan monasteries. In Sera Monastery, sutra debates can be seen from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. every day except Sunday. A group of monks dressed in red robes use a variety of exaggerated gestures, body movements, and fierce words to debate with each other. They check each other’s sutra-learning results through intense question-and-answer.

After visiting the Sera Monastery, your two-day Lhasa tour will come to an end. You will be escorted to the hotel by our guide and driver.

Drepung Monastery

Sera Monastery

Author: Zhenzhen Zhu

Proofreader: Yan Liu