Tibet's Traditional Capital

Lhasa, the holy city closest to the sky, the economic, political and cultural center of Tibet, and the world-famous Tibetan Buddhist holy site, Lhasa has always been the first stop for thousands of Tibet lovers, and is sought after and loved by countless donkey friends.

Overview of Lhasa

Lhasa, abbreviated as "La", is the capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region of China, an international tourist city with plateau and ethnic characteristics, the political, economic, cultural and scientific and educational center of Tibet, and the sacred site of Tibetan Buddhism. It is located in the middle of the Tibetan Plateau, on the northern side of the Himalayas, at an altitude of 3650 meters.

Lhasa is a famous city of sunshine

Lhasa has sunny weather throughout the year, with little rainfall, no severe cold in winter and no scorching heat in summer, and the climate is pleasant. With more than 3,000 hours of sunshine throughout the year, it is known as the "City of Daylight". Lhasa is rich in various resources, and has obvious resource advantages over other prefectures and cities in the whole country and the autonomous region.

More than 80% of the rainy time in Lhasa was between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m. the next morning, with a lot of rain at night, while the sun was still shining high and the weather was clear the next day.

What must I know about Lhasa?

Lhasa River

The Lhasa River is the mother river of Lhasa City, originating in the southern foothills of the Nianqing Tanggula Mountains, in the southern foothills of the Jialiri Phuntsok Lakongma Gou. It flows through Nagqu, Dangxiong, Lin Zhou, Mozhugongka, Dazi, Chengguan, Duilong Deqing, and Qushui County, and is a larger tributary of the middle reaches of the Brahmaputra River.

The Lhasa River is 495 kilometers long and has a basin area of 31,760 square kilometers; With a maximum flow of 2830 cubic meters per second, it is one of the highest rivers in the world.

In the evening, walking with two friends by the river to blow the wind is a favorite leisure way for the people of Lhasa.

The most famous street in Lhasa: Barkhor Street

Every city has a street that tells the story of the city, like Chunxi Road in Chengdu, Muslim Street in Xi'an, Liberation Monument in Chongqing... Of course, there is also one such street in Lhasa, that is, Barkhor Street.

Barkhor Street was just a meridian in the early days, but in the 18th century, it began to develop into a commercial street that began to take shape. In the early 20th century, Barkhor Street flourished, and Nepalese, Indian and Beijing merchants were active here, competing fiercely with local Hui and Tibetan merchants.

Tibetans often say that if you hadn't come to Barkhor Street, you wouldn't have been to Lhasa. Let go of all the troubles and burdens of life, walk around Barkhor Street, and a spiritual journey begins.

Lhasa has a Tibetan Buddhist shrine: Jokhang Temple

"First there was the Jokhang Temple, then there was the city of Lhasa". "Going to Lhasa without going to the Jokhang Temple is equivalent to not having been to Lhasa."

Jokhang Temple, also known as Zurakang, Kyawkang (meaning Buddha Hall in Tibetan), is a Tibetan Buddhist monastery located in the center of the old city of Lhasa, a national key cultural relic protection unit, with a history of 1,350 years.

The entrance to Jokhang Temple is always crowded with believers who come here to kowtow and pray. They threw themselves into the ground for nothing but prayer in their hearts and devotion to the Buddhist faith.

Most of the worshippers carry heavy luggage, and some even have to trek through mountains and rivers to come to Jokhang Temple from various Tibetan areas.

Here, no one cares how others are, and looking at the touching worshippers, the onlookers have a lot of deep respect in their hearts.

The highland temple closest to the sky: the Potala Palace

Potala Palace, the plateau temple closest to the sky, it is built on the mountain, overlapping buildings, the temple Saga, majestic, thousands of years, attracting the attention of people around the world.

"Potala" is the Tibetan transliteration, meaning "Putra". The world-famous Potala Palace, covering an area of 100,000 square meters, is known as one of the top ten earthen buildings in the world.

The Potala Palace has 13 floors and is 110 meters high, rising from the foot of the mountain to the top. It consists of the White House (where the Dalai Lama lived) in the east and the Red Palace (the Buddha Hall and the Lingta Hall of the Dalai Lama) in the middle.

Lhasa Altitude

Lhasa is located in the middle of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, 3650 meters above sea level, one of the highest cities in the world, the terrain is high in the north and low in the south, sloping from east to west, and the central and southern parts are the plain of the middle reaches of the Lhasa River, a tributary of the Brahmaputra River, and the terrain is flat. 100 kilometers north of Lhasa, stands the Nianqing Tanggula Snow Mountain, and on the northern edge is Namuco, the highest point of the summit is 7117 meters above sea level.

The Nianqing Tanggula Mountain Range stands in the middle of the Tibetan Plateau, about 600 kilometers from west to east, it is bordered by Gangkukashame in the west, the Boshula Ridge in the Hengduan Mountains in the southeast, and slightly protruding to the north in the middle, it is the watershed of the two large water systems of the Brahmaputra River and the Nu River, and at the same time divides Tibet Autonomous Region into three major regions: northern Tibet, southern Tibet and southeastern Tibet.

Lhasa Weather

"Four seasons in one day" is a true portrayal of Lhasa's weather and temperature. During the peak tourist season from June to September every year, the maximum temperature in Lhasa can reach 27-29°C at noon, giving people the feeling of midsummer; In the evening, the temperature began to drop to 15 °C, and people felt cool in autumn again; At midnight, the temperature drops to 0-5 ° C, and the quilt is covered all night, just like winter; After sunrise the next morning, the temperature rises back and warms like spring.

Overview of temperatures in Lhasa by month

Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun
Average maximum temperature	7℃	9℃	12℃	14℃	20℃	23℃
Average minimum temperature	-10℃	-7℃	-3℃	1℃	5℃	9℃

Month	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Average maximum temperature	24℃	21℃	20℃	16℃	12℃	8℃
Average minimum temperature	10℃	9℃	7℃	2℃	-5℃	-10℃

Lhasa Hotel

Of all the hotels and hostels in Tibet, Lhasa has the most diverse accommodations. From inexpensive youth hostels to 5 star luxury hotels, hotels in Lhasa can meet the demand of world-wide tourists with varied pockets and preferences.

Recommended Hotels in Lhasa:

1. Luxury St. Regis Lhasa Resort (5star)

Location: No.22, Jiangsu Road, Lhasa, Tibet

St. Regis Lhasa Resort is an international luxury hotel in Lhasa, providing high-quality services and modern luxury amenities.

2. Lhasa Manasarovar Hotel (5star)

Location: Building A of Yangcheng Square, Gongbutang Road, Lhasa

As one of the 5-star hotels in Lhasa, Lhasa Manasarovar Hotel enjoys a good location close to Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, the railway station and the eastern bus station.

3. Four Points Sheraton Hotel in Lhasa (5star)

Location: No.10, Bolinka Road, Lhasa

Four Points Sheraton Lhasa Hotel is definitely one of the luxury hotels in Lhasa. This 5 star hotel in Lhasa has a good location, a 10-min of driving to Jokhang Temple, the Potala Palace and Barkhor Street.

4. Lhasa Brahmaputra Grand Hotel (5star)

Location: Building B of Yangcheng Square,Gongbutang Road, Lhasa

Lhasa Brahmaputra Grand Hotel is the unique museum hotel in the world. The traditional Tibetan architectural style and modern decorative technologies make Brahmaputra Grand Hotel really luxurious.

5. Intercontinental Lhasa Paradise (5star)

Location: No.1, Jiangsu Avenue, Chengguan District, Lhasa

As one of 5-star hotels, situated in Lhasa downtown area along the Lhasa River, Intercontinental Lhasa Paradise Hotel is close to Tibet famous attractions. And it provides all kinds of attentive service for guests.

6. Lhasa Gang Gyan Hotel (4 star, highly recommended)

Location: No. 83, Beijing East Road, Lhasa

Lhasa Gang Gyan Hotel is a 4 star hotel in Lhasa or one of the comfortable hotels in Lhasa, with a superior location in Lhasa center. It's near the Ramoche Temple, the busy Barkhor Street and places for tourists to go sightseeing and go shopping.

7. Lhasa Yak Hotel (4star, highly recommended)

Location: No. 100 Beijing East Road, Lhasa

Yak Hotel is one of the comfortable 4 star hotels in Lhasa and has its good location in the center of Lassa and close to the Jokhang, Ramoche monastery.

8. Lhasa Thangka Hotel (4star)

Location: No.38,Yutuo Road, Lhasa

Thangka Hotel is definitely recommended as a 4 star hotel in Lhasa, located aside the Jokhang Temple.

9. Tibet Tianshu Garden Hotel in Lhasa (4star)

Location: No. 25, South Sera Road, Lhasa

Tibet Tianshu Garden Hotel is a new 4 star hotel in Lhasa located near Ramoche Monastery.

10. Lhasa Shangbala Hotel (3star)

Location: No.1 Danjielin Road, Lhasa

Shangbala Hotel is your best choice among 3 star hotels in Lhasa if you want to be close to the Barkhor.

11. Lhasa New Mandala Hotel (3star)

Location: No.31 Barkhor South Street, Lhasa

New Mandala Hotel, located right next to Jokhang Monastery,is one of the economic 3 star hotels in Lhasa and offers good facilities and high standard of service.

12. House of Shambhala (3star)

Location:No. 7 Jiri 2nd Alley, Lhasa

House of Shambhala is a typical Tibetan courtyard hotel in Lhasa. The Potala Palace and Jokhang Temple are within easy reach.