Cities > Lhasa City
Overview
Chinese Name: 拉萨市English Name: Lhasa City
Climate Conditions: Plateau Mountain Climate
Airport: Lhasa Gonggar International Airport
Train Station: Lhasa Station
Background
Lhasa is located in the southwestern region of China, in the central part of the Tibetan Plateau, on the north side of the Himalayas, in the mid-valley plain of the Lhasa River, a tributary of the Yarlung Tsangpo River. It is the political, economic, cultural, and scientific center of Tibet, as well as a holy site for Tibetan Buddhism. Lhasa's geographical coordinates are 91°06′E and 29°36′N. The Lhasa River flows through the city and joins the Yarlung Tsangpo River in the southern suburbs. With an elevation of 3,650 meters, Lhasa enjoys many clear days throughout the year, with an annual sunlight duration of over 3,000 hours, earning it the nickname "Sunlight City." The city is rich in various resources, holding a significant resource advantage compared to other cities in the autonomous region and across the country.Topography and Landforms
Lhasa is situated in the central part of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and has an elevation of 3,650 meters, making it one of the highest cities in the world. The terrain slopes downwards from north to south and tilts from east to west, with a flat mid-valley plain formed by the Lhasa River. Standing 100 kilometers north of Lhasa is the Nyainqêntanglha Mountain, with its northern border marked by Namtso Lake, peaking at an elevation of 7,117 meters. The Nyainqêntanglha range extends about 600 kilometers from west to east in the central Tibetan Plateau, serving as the watershed between the Yarlung Tsangpo River and the Nu River and dividing the Tibet Autonomous Region into northern, southern, and southeastern areas. The Datangula Pass reaches an elevation of 5,231 meters, marking a natural boundary between Qinghai and Tibet, and is the highest point on National Highway 109. "Nyainqêntanglha" means "spiritual grassland god" in Tibetan, and this range and its surrounding areas were significantly shaped by strong Quaternary glacial action, resulting in steep mountain ridges, particularly steep on the northwest slope.Climate
Lhasa has a plateau temperate semi-arid monsoon climate, with an annual sunlight duration of 3,000 hours—1,800 hours more than in Chengdu, Sichuan, and 1,100 hours more than in Shanghai, making it one of the leading cities in China for sunshine. Situated on the north side of the Himalayas, Lhasa enjoys a predominance of clear days with scarce rainfall, mild winters, and moderate summers, fitting the definition of a plateau temperate semi-arid monsoon climate. The historical highest temperature recorded is 29.6 degrees Celsius, and the lowest is -16.5 degrees Celsius, with an average annual temperature of 7.4 degrees Celsius. Rainfall is concentrated in June, July, August, and September, with total annual precipitation ranging between 200-510 millimeters, mainly occurring at nighttime during the rainy season. Strong solar radiation and thin air contribute to cooler temperatures with a significant diurnal temperature variation; winters and springs are cold, dry, and windy.Festivals
Tibetan New Year
The Tibetan people prepare for the New Year from the twelfth month of the Tibetan calendar. On the first day of the Tibetan New Year, the first activity is to send someone to the riverside to fetch the first bucket of water for the New Year—called auspicious water. From the second day, friends and relatives visit each other to exchange New Year greetings. This lasts for three to five days, during which people gather to dance the Guozhuang dance and the Xianzi dance on open ground, accompanying themselves with six-stringed instruments, cymbals, gongs, and singing.Choe-Khor-Global Monastic Festival
This is the largest religious festival in Tibet. Monks from the three major monasteries in Lhasa—Drepung, Sera, and Ganden—gather at the Jokhang Temple for this festival, which originated from a prayer gathering hosted by the founder of the Gelug school, Master Tsongkhapa, in 1409. Since then, it has continually expanded and enriched, becoming a fixed annual religious festival.Butter Lamp Festival
The fifteenth day of the first month in the Tibetan calendar marks the end of the Choe-Khor-Global Monastic Festival. During the day, people pray in various temples; at night, the Barkhor Street in Lhasa holds the Butter Lamp Festival, where different floral arches filled with colorful statues of deities, people, and flowers are set up, along with puppet shows. In the nights, farmers from the suburbs engage in singing and dancing competitions, which can sometimes last several days, making it the most lively and joyous festival in Lhasa.Saga Dawa Festival
On the fifteenth day of the fourth month in the Tibetan calendar, it marks the birthday, enlightenment, and death of the founder of Buddhism, Shakyamuni. This day is a traditional festival for the Tibetan people, who dress in festive attire and gather at the Dragon King Pond behind the magnificent Potala Palace to celebrate.Bathing Festival
This is a traditional festival for the Tibetan people. The Bathing Festival lasts for five to six days, during which people, whether in towns or villages, bring tents and food such as butter tea, barley wine, and tsampa, rushing to the banks of the Lhasa River, the Yarlung Tsangpo River, and various lakes and rivers on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau to bathe and enjoy themselves in the water.Shoton Festival
One of the largest traditional festivals in Tibet, "Shoton" means yogurt. Before the seventeenth century, it was purely a religious event. According to the Gelug school's regulations, the entire month of June in the Tibetan calendar is a period of abstinence for monks and nuns from leaving their monasteries to avoid hurting insects. The ban is lifted on the first day of the seventh month, and the farmers and herdsmen then offer carefully prepared yogurt. During the festival, the Tibetan people gather in groups, carrying various types of baggage and barrels of barley wine, and some set up tents with mats and carpets on the ground.Horse Racing Festival
Horse racing is a beloved activity among Tibetans, serving not only as a gathering for exchanging agricultural and pastoral experiences but also as a display of their spirit. Almost every Tibetan festival features horse racing activity, rooted in the Tibetan people's deep cultural beliefs in horses. This long-standing tradition has fostered the "Horse Racing Festival.Wangguo Festival
The "Wangguo" Festival is an annual celebration by the Tibetan people to pray for a good harvest. On this day, the Tibetans dress in festive clothing, some wave colorful flags, others carry towers made of barley and wheat sheaves decorated with white khatas, holding slogans, drumming, singing songs, and performing Tibetan opera. Some carry portraits of Chairman Mao and parade around the field, enjoying the feast while engaging in traditional activities like horse racing, archery, yak racing, and singing and dancing competitions.Local Customs and Culture
The new city of Lhasa is centered around the Potala Palace and the Barkhor Street, extending north to Sera Monastery and west to Duolong Deqing County. Looking at Lhasa City, the post and telecommunications building, the news building, Lhasa Hotel, Tibet Hotel, and various other buildings are interspersed, creating a new landscape. Standing atop the Potala Palace and looking down at Lhasa, the entire city is dotted with newly constructed buildings concealed among greenery. Only the area around Barkhor Street is adorned with prayer flags fluttering and incense smoke rising. Here, buildings and streets rich in ethnic style abound, gathering people from various regions of the Tibetan area, many of whom wear traditional attire. The ever-present prayer wheels and malas signify that Buddhism has truly become a way of life for them.Famous Attractions
Potala Palace
The Potala Palace was built in the 7th century by Songtsen Gampo, the Tibetan king, to marry Princess Wencheng of the Tang Dynasty. It is located on the Red Hill in the center of Lhasa, standing at an elevation of 3,767.19 meters, making it the highest ancient palace in the world. There are over 900 stone steps from the entrance at the foot of the mountain to the top. The Potala Palace consists of two main parts: the Red Palace and the White Palace. The Red Palace is at the center, with the White Palace extending across its wings, showcasing a magnificent complex integrating palace, castle, tomb, and temple.Jokhang Temple
The Jokhang Temple began construction during the flourishing period of the Tubo Dynasty in the 7th century. It is the most splendid existing structure from the Tubo period and the oldest preserved wooden structure in Tibet, pioneering the Tibetan-style temple layout. The Jokhang Temple incorporates architectural styles from Tibet, Tang, Nepal, and India, setting a timeless example of Tibetan religious architecture.Namtso Lake
Namtso Lake, situated at an elevation of 4,718 meters, stretches 70 kilometers from east to west and 30 kilometers from north to south, making it Tibet's largest lake and China's second-largest saline lake, as well as the highest large lake in the world. The shoreline of Namtso Lake is broad and rich in pastureland, functioning as a natural grazing ground throughout the year. In early summer, flocks of wild ducks arrive to nest, along with other wildlife like wild yaks and blue sheep often appearing.Drepung Monastery
Drepung Monastery is one of the six major monasteries of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. It is large, with six scripture halls and four monastic buildings, housing many invaluable cultural relics. On the last day of the Shoton Festival, which falls on the 30th of the sixth month in the Tibetan calendar, people gather at Drepung Monastery to celebrate with festivities such as the "Buddha display" and Tibetan opera, creating a lively atmosphere.Notes
- The greatest taboo for Tibetan compatriots is the killing of living beings, which is even stricter for those who have taken vows in Buddhism. While they eat cow and sheep meat, they do not slaughter them themselves. Tibetans completely refrain from eating donkey, horse, and dog meat, and in some areas, fish is also avoided.
- When drinking butter tea, guests should wait until the host offers it with both hands before accepting it.
- When passing by temples, mani stones, stupas, and other religious sites, one must circumnavigate them from left to right; practitioners of Bon religion will circumambulate from the right. Crossing over religious artifacts or fire pits is prohibited.
- Prayer wheels should not be turned backward.
- When entering temples, one should refrain from wearing hats, smoking, touching statues, flipping through scriptures, and ringing bells and drums. Religious artifacts carried by lamas, such as amulets and prayer beads, shouldn't be touched. Silence should be upheld inside temples, and one should sit properly, avoiding sitting in places designated for living Buddhas. It is also prohibited to make loud noises, hunt, or kill nearby temples.
- Avoid using paper with Tibetan characters as toilet paper or for wiping.
- In villages, if a Tibetan household has a sick person or a woman giving birth, they will mark their door, sometimes with a fire outside or by placing branches or a red cloth at the entrance. Outsiders should not enter upon seeing these signs.
