 Lhasa,
the beautiful capital city of this Tibet Autonomous Region, (TAR),
is situated in the South Central part of the region, on the North
bank of the Kyichu River, (Lhasa River), in a mountain-fringed valley.
At an elevation of 3,658 m, (12,000 feet), the city, nicknamed Sunlight
City, is the highest city in the world. This ancient sprawling city,
settled 1,300 years ago, covers 30,000 square kms, (3'000,000 hectares),
with a population of 400,000, of which 87% are Tibetans.
The urban population is 180,000. The city has many Buddhist monuments
and was the seat of the Dalai Lama, so that flocks of pilgrims have
been making their pilgrimage to the city for centuries.
More and more tourists from every corner of the world have been
attracted to explore this vibrant city and its mysterious culture
as well. Its unique scenery, long history, exotic culture, mysterious
religion and spectacular monuments, make your stay a life long memory.
Tibet (Xizang), the Roof of the World, remained unknown to the world
until the very beginning of the 20th century. The massive, snowy
land has exerted an awesome draw to travelers and adventurers ever
since. Its majestic and grand scenery, mysterious and exotic religious
culture, and wonderful people reward every tourist with an indelible
life long memory!
Tibet (Tibet Autonomous Region, TAR for short) borders India, Burma,
Bhutan, Sikkim, and Nepal. Covering a massive 1,220,000 square kilometers
(470, 920 square miles), the plateau is surrounded by the highest
mountain ranges, the Himalaya to the south, the Karakoram to the
west, and the Kunlun to the north. Smaller mountain ranges block
it off in the east with internal provinces of China. With an average
height of 4,000 meters above sea level, Tibet encompasses some of
the world's highest mountains. Mt. Everest towers over the region.
Four mountains exceed altitudes of 8,000 meters (26,240 feet).
Thirty-eight mountains exceed altitudes of 7,000 meters (22,960
feet). This "Roof of the World" is the dreamland of mountaineers
and adventurers. The vast land is also the cradle of great rivers
like the Yangtze, Yellow River, Nu River (Salween), Lancang River
(Mekong), Yarlong Tsangpo (Brahmaputra), Indus, and Ganges. Tibet
also offers awe-inspiring scenery of heavenly lakes and valleys.
Lhasa and Shigatse are the well trodden areas which offer the most
accessible religious monuments and tourist attractions. As the most
important cities of Tibet, Lhasa and Shigatse feature most of the
religious monuments including the Potala, the Jokhang Temple, Tashilunpo
Monastery, and Kumbum, as well as natural wonders including Mt.
Everest and Yamdrok Yumtso Lake.
Western Tibet, Ngari, is a vast barren plateau and renowned as
the Roof of Tibet. As the place where the sacred lake (Lake Manasarova)
joins the sacred mountain (Mt. Kailash), Ngari is a holy pilgrimage
destination of both Tibetans and Hindus, as well as a popular challenge
to trekkers. The ancient Shang Shung Kingdom and Guge Kingdom also
exert a pull.
Southwestern Tibet has been a popular destination for mountaineers.
More than 40 snow capped peaks are open to mountain climbing enthusiasts.
Southern Tibet offers snow capped mountains, primeval forests, running
waters, and a relatively mild climate. The largest canyon in the
world, Yarlong Tsangpo Canyon, is the home of rare species, and
remains unknown to the foreigner.
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