The Tibet Autonomous Region, perched on the southwest Oinghai-Tibet Plateau, is a southwestern frontier region in China. At an average altitude of 4,000 metres, Tibet is the world's largest and highest plateau known as the 'Roof of the World'. The world's largest canyon, the Yalung Zangbo Canyon, is m Tibet. In the mid-7th century, Songtsan Gambo established the unified Tubo Dynasty and befriended the Tang Dynasty by marrying Princess Wencheng in 641 AD. In the mid-13th century, Tibet was incorporated as an administrative region of the Yuan Dynasty. Peaceful liberation came in 1951, and serfdom was abolished during the Democratic Reform of 1959. The Tibet Autonomous Region was officially established in 1965.
Breathtaking is hardly an adequate word for Tibet's landscape, which consists of snow-capped mountains of astonishing heights, primitive forests, vast steppes, mighty rivers, the world's highest lakes, and exotic wildlife and plants. Tibetans, who make up upwards of 90 percent of the local population, are born singers and dancers with a splendid civilization. Buddhist art thrives, and among the region's 2,700 temples are such famous ones as the Potala Palace, the Norbulinka Palace, the Jokhong Temple, and the Tashilhunpo Monastery.
Lhasa
At an elevation of 3.700 metres, Lhasa is capital of Tibet Autonomous Region and a famous cultural city with a 1.300 year history. Bathed in sunshine for more than 3.000 hours a year, it is also a "Sunshine City". Major landmarks : Potala Palace, Jokhong Monastery, Sera Monastery, Drepung Temple, Gaindain Monastery, Norbulinka Palace. Lhasa's original look and old lifestyle are largely intact at Barkhor Street in the old part of Lhasa, where all sorts of arts and crafts are on sale. Lhasa is linked with Beijing, Chongqing, Chengdu, Xian and Kathmandu Airlines. The Xining - Lhasa and Chengdu - Lhasa highways also provide major accesses to Lhasa.
Potala Palace
Lhasa means "Sacred Land" in Tibetan, and Potala Palace, the architectural wonder in the centre of Lhasa, is the symbol of that Sacred Land. When the thirty-third King of Tibet, Songtsan Gampo, was married in 641 to Princess Wen Cheng of the Tang Dynasty, he had 999 house built on Hongshan Hill for his bride, as well as the red building at the top of the hill. The Buddhists later named it Potala Palace, meaning the sacred land of Buddhism.
Ravaged by lightning, fire, and war, the original palace was severly damaged. In the restored palace we see today, the white buildings on either side, called the White Palace, were built three hundred years ago by the fifth Dalai Lama as living quarters. The central building, called the Red Palace, was built by the disciple of the fifth Dalai Lama and contains mourning halls and libraries.
Potala Palace was constructed on the hill side. Surrounded by a wall three metres high, the thirteen-story palace is 110 metres tall and has over ten thousand pillars; its 90.000 square metres of floor space was built on an area of 102.880 square metres. Sunlight Hall in Potala Palace is flooded with sunlight throughout the year. Eastern Sunlight Hall was the residence of the Thirteenth Dalai Lama, and Western Sunlight Hall was lived in by the Fourteenth Dalai Lama. Now these luxurious halls house valuable pearls, jewels, and antiques.
Mural art is an intrinsic part of the architecture of Potala Palace. Every room, no matter how small, is decorated with colourful, vivid murals. The 698 murals along the painted second-floor corridor are the most extraordinaru, depicting Buddhist stories and the unique scenery, customs, and legend s of ancient Tibet.
Norbu Lingka
Which means "Precious Garden" in TIbetan, was the summer residence of many generations of Dalai Lamas, while Potala Palace was their winter residence. It lies one kilometre to the west of the Potala. Among the green trees stands a two-story building with carved beams, painted pillars, traditional upturned eaves, and corbel brackets. This is the house where Dalai Lamas stayed during the summer. The building is surrounded by trees, with ponds, terraces, and towers nearby. This elegant palace contains many valuable objects, including gold, silver, jade, antiques, Buddhist artifacts, murals, and luxury furniture.
When the trees turn green, families come here to celebrate Dzamling Chisang Festival. Setting up tents and camps in the woods of by the river, they sing and dance and drink Qingke barley wine and buttered tea until midnight.
Mount Everest (Mount Qomolangma)
Qomolangma is a transliteration from Tibetan, meaning "Goddess of Mountain". The 8.848 metre Qomolangma is the main peak of the Himalayas. Situated on the border between China and Nepal, it is the highest mountain in the world, This majestic peak has long attracted mountaineers, scientists, and ordinary tourist.
Jokhong Monastery
Jokhong Monastery, built in 647 as the earliest wood-masonry structure in Tibet, is dedicated to a statue of Sakyamuni. It is also in the possession of a collection of cultural relics dating back to the Tang, which include statues of Songtsan Gambo and Princess Wencheng. Tang architectural elements are palpable in this monastery, a splendid four-floor building facing west under a gilded rooftop.
Xigaze
A 500-year-old cultural city 3,800-metre above sea level, Xigaze is the site of Benchen Lamas' residence in the Tashilunpo Monastery. The world- famed Mount Qomolanma (8,848.13 metres) stands to the south of the city. The emblem of the city is the Tashilunpo Monastery, established in 1447, where the fourth Benchen Lama and his successors resided and conduct political activities. Covering a floor space of 300,000 square metres, the monastery is enshrined with the world's largest gilded bronze Buddhist statue, the 22.4-metre-high statue of Champa.
How to Get a Visa
Overseas visitors to Tibet shall process entry formalities upon showing confirmation letters issued by the Tibetan government. Passports and Visas: The foreign tourist is granted the entry visa only when he or she holds a valid passport and a letter of visa notification for tour groups issued by a Chinese embassy in a foreign country and confirmed by the Tibetan Tourist Administration.
Entry Confirmation Letter: Overseas tour groups, those from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan included, are allowed to enter Tibet only with a confirmation letter from Tibet Autonomous Region's Tourism Administration. The administration has representative offices in Beijing, Chengdu, Golmud, Shanghai, Xining, Xi'an, Hong Kong, Kathmandu, Japan and the United States to handle group tours.