Lhasa, the City on the Roof of the World, the Land of the Gods, is one of those places that you’re not quite 100% sure exists, like Timbuktu and Atlantis, a place so woven into legend that it’s hard to pick the fact from the fiction. It is, I am pleased to inform you, 100% real and a truly magical place – the beating heart of the region of Tibet.
Founded in the 7th century by Songsten Gampo, who was at the same time attempting to unite Tibet, it wasn’t until the 17th century that it was declared capital by the 5th Dalai Lama, who also constructed himself a rather spectacular palace, the Potala. The Lhasa of today may be a bustling, rapidly-expanding Chinese city, but in the alleys, temples and neighbourhoods of the old town lingers the essence of the old, traditional Tibetan way of life.
At the very core of the city is the Jokhang, a temple founded by Songsten Gampo to house a Buddha image, ‘Jowo Rinpoche’, that came as a part of the dowry of his Chinese wife. It is the most sacred temple in Tibet and the tale of its foundation has many versions – this is the most fascinating one. The demoness srin ma wished to prevent the spread of Buddhism across a newly united Tibet. To thwart her evil intentions, Songsten Gampo proposed building 12 temples at various points across the country. The first four temples were built in central Tibet, the second four were built in the farther reaches of the country and the last four were built on the its frontiers, pinning down srin ma. Finally, the Jokhang was built over the demoness’ heart, ensuring her subjugation and ending the threat to the Buddhist religion. The Jowo Rinpoche remains on display in the oldest part of the temple, built in the 600s, and is the most sacred Buddhist artefact in the country. The Jokhang and its pilgrimage circuit, the Barkhor, are always full of pilgrims. They arrive in their traditional dress, having prostated, walked, ridden or driven from all over Tibet to worship. Joining them to make the circuit of the temple (watch the old ladies swinging their handheld prayer wheels, they’re lethal) is a wonderful experience, before you enter the sticky, yak-butter-candle-lit thickness of the Jokhang, pressed close to your fellow visitors as you shuffle through the shadows. Your look at the worshipped idols and temple murals will be a fleeting glance as you are pressed along but in the end, it is the atmosphere that is the astonishing and exciting part.
Whilst the Jokhang and Barkhor are the heart of the city, the Potala must be its soul. Perched watchfully on the summit of Marpo Ri (Red Hill), a colossal palace astonishing to behold, this fortress-esque 13-storey white and red behemoth is the sight of the city. Built in 1645 by the 5th Dalai Lama, the Potala has been the seat of the Tibetan Government and palace of the Dalai Lama from this point to 1959 when the current (14th) Dalai Lama fled to India amid the Chinese military occupation of Lhasa, where he remains in exile today. It is now a state museum, though not many of the thousand rooms are open to the public. Wandering through, the place does have an air of neglected but the shrines, stupas and chapels within are impressive. From the roof, the views over the city and the surrounding landscapes are magnificent.
There is so much more to say about Lhasa – there’s the Norbulingka, the summer palace of the Dalai Lama, and the university monasteries of Sera, Drepung and Ganden just outside the city, but no more time here to say it. Each sight offers a peaceful and intriguing glance into the Tibet of the past, so it would be easy to spend a week here exploring. The best bit though, is wandering the old town meeting the local people, soaking up the atmosphere and stepping back into a simpler, purer past.
If you would like to explore the wonders of Lhasa, and Tibet as a whole, just give one of our tailormade team a call and talk to them about your touring options – there are plenty of them!