Lhasa Overview

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 kilometers, (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.