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[INTERESTING PLACES TO VISIT
IN TIBET ]
LHASA:
 Regardless of the extent of pre-departure reading, Lhasa will
overwhelm visitors with its extraordinary sights. Not only the
altitude (3,650m) that will take your breath away, the
magnificent Potala Palace, former seat of the Dalai Lama,
presides over the city. Built in 1645 at a hilltop, the palace
contains 1,000 rooms, 10,000 shrines and 200,000 religious
statues.
The old city revolves around the Jhokang Temple and the quaint
Bakor market that surrounds it. The seventh century Jhokang is
the holiest Buddhist shrine in Tibet and houses the Jowo
Sakyamuni brought to Tibet from Nepal. Its mural paintings,
finely worked golden roofs and other artworks are something to
see. At a little distance from the old city core, Lhasa is
also a modern capital of concrete high-rises, fancy department
stores and wide boulevards.
Norbulingka, which means "the jewelled garden", consists of
360,000 sq m of wooded greenery and three palaces once used by
the Dalai Lama as a summer retreat. The Drepung Monastery,
about 10 km from the city, is the largest of its kind in Tibet
built in 1416 by a disciple of Tsong Khapa. The numerous
Buddhist statues, ancient scriptures, scroll paintings and
other cultural relics fascinate the onlookers. The Sera
Monastery, about 5km north of Lhasa, is another important
centre of Buddhist learning. Built in 1419, its most
remarkable image is a nine-metre figure of Maitreya.
SHIGATSE:
 An excellent excursion from Lhasa is a circuit that takes in
the towns of Shigatse, Gyantse and Tsetang. Fine highway and
stunning scenery on the way make this a superb trip. It also
offers a comprehensive experience of Tibet in a neat
itinerary.
Shigatse (altitude 3,900m) is situated some 274km to the west
of Lhasa and is Tibet's second largest city. The highway runs
alongside the Yarlung Tsangpo (Brahmaputra) river passing
through narrow gorges and broad river valleys. Farmers
ploughing their fields with yaks, sheep grazing on the vast
plains, awesome sand dunes and rocky hills in the distance are
the scenic rewards of this journey.
The Tashilunpo Monastery, built in 1447 by the first Dalai
Lama, is Shigatse's most important culture and religious site.
The main chapel here contains a huge 16-metre high statue of
Maitreya, the future Buddha. Other buildings contain images of
Sakyamuni (the present Buddha), white and green Taras and
embalmed bodies of past Panchen Lamas.
GYANTSE:
 The 94km gravel road (but good road) joins Shigatse and
Gyantse (altitude 3,800m). The 32m high Kumbum Stupa is
Gyantse's symbol and contains 77 rooms and 100,000 images of
Lord Buddha. Of the 112 chapels, 23 are open to the public. A
prince of Gyantse had built in the 108-sided mandala style in
1427, with the involvement of craftsmen from the Kathmandu
Valley. It is the finest example of 15th century Newar art
extant in the world. Pelko Chode Monastery and Gyantse Fort
(built a top massive rock) are other attractions.
The road from Gyantse to Lhasa (260 km) takes you over three
mountain passes: Simala (4380m), Karola (5045m) and Ghampala
(4794m). The road skirts the Yamdrok Tso Lake before twisting
up the Ghampala pass — the top offers a magnificent view of
the lake on one side and the Yarlung Tsangpo river on the
other. The scenery and the adventure offered by the old
caravan route makes this an unforgettable excursion.
TSETANG:
Tsetang (195km from Lhasa) is known as the cradle of Tibetan
civilisation. The ancient town offers a number of side trips
that illustrate Tibet's early history. The Valley of the Kings
(ancient capital of the Yarlung Kings who established the
Tibetan nation), the Yumbu Lagang Palace (built for the first
Yarlung King), and the Tandruk Monastery (one of the three
Royal Buddhist temples) are some of the major sights.
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