Over 1,300 years old, it sits in a valley right next to the Lhasa River. Tourist resources are plenty, good hotels, tasty restaurants, travel agencies, Chinese department stores and supermarkets, in some parts of the city, you may find no difference to other Chinese cities, but the Tibetan influence is still strong and evident, especially around the old quarters near Barkhor.

The Eastern end of Lhasa is more prominently traditional Tibetan, focusing on the area around the Jokhang and the Barkhor. Traditionally dressed Tibetans engaged on a kora often spinning prayer wheels are a common sight in that area. The Western end of Lhasa is more Chinese in character. It is busy and modern, and many ways a surprise to many tourists. It is there one finds most of the infrastructure, such as banks and contact with officialdom.

The Potala Palace is located in Lhasa,

Tibet Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China. It was named after Mount Potala, the abode of Chenresig or Avalokitesvara. The Potala Palace was the chief residence of the Dalai Lama until the 14th Dalai Lama fled to Dharamsala, India after an invasion and failed uprising in 1959. Today the Potala Palace has been converted into a museum by the Chinese.

The building measures 400 metres east-west and 350 metres north-south, with sloping stone walls averaging 3 m. thick, and 5 m. (more than 16 ft) thick at the base, and with copper poured into the foundations to help proof it against earthquakes.Thirteen stories of buildings -- containing over 1,000 rooms, 10,000 shrines and about 200,000 statues -- soar 117 metres (384 ft) on top of Marpo Ri, the "Red Hill", rising more than 300 m (about 1,000 ft) in total above the valley floor. Tradition has it that the three main hills of Lhasa represent the "Three Protectors of Tibet"; Chokpori, just to the south of the Potala, is the soul-mountain (bla-ri) of Vajrapani, Pongwari that of Manjushri, and Marpori, the hill on which the Potala stands, represents Chenresig or Avalokiteshvara.

About 4km north of Lhasa, this monastery was founded in 1419 by a disciple of Tsong Khapa. About 300 monks are now in residence, well down from an original population of around 5000. Debating taks place from 3pm in a garden next to the central assembly hall(Jepa Duchen)in the centre of the monastery.

Ganden Monastery (also Gaden or Gandain) or Ganden Namgyeling is one of the 'great three' Gelukpa university monasteries of Tibet, located at the top of Wangbur Mountain, Tagtse County, 36 kilometers ENE from the Potala Palace in Lhasa, at an altitude of 4,750m. (The other two 'great monasteries' are Sera Monastery and Drepung Monastery.) It was the original monastery of the Geluk order, founded by Je Tsongkhapa himself in 1409,and traditionally considered to be the seat of Geluk administrative and political power. The Ganden Tripa or 'throne-holder of Ganden' is the head of the Gelukpa school. Being the furthest from Lhasa of the three university monasteries, Ganden traditionally had a smaller population with some 6,000 monks in the early 20th century.

Namcha Barwa is considered one of Tibet's most inaccessible peaks.Beautiful to behold in its impenetrable serenity, it still remains the highest unclimbed peak of the Himalayas.The bulk of its massif causes the East flowing Tsangpo River, the highest flowing river in the world, to make a huge loop around the mountain to flow southward into India where it becomes the mighty westward flowing Brahmaputra.
Beginning in Lhasa and taking in a preliminary route through Samye and Tsedang, we follow the course of the Tsangpo close to the disputed Indian border area to arrive at the village of Lusha near the big bend in the river. Passing through villages of the Loba people(a Tibetan minority group), we make our ways through the forested region of Pei to the Namcha Barwa Base Camp. The relatively low altitude of the base camp area(1600m.) affords astounding views of the vertical snow capped peak of Namcha Barwa(7756m.)

This lies about 30km west of Testang, on the opposite bank of the Yarlung Zangbo (Brahmaputra River).Samye is famous for its sacred mandala design: the central temple symbolizes the legendary Mount Meru, center of the universe. It is a popular pilgrimage destination for Tibetan Buddhists, some of whom travel on foot for weeks to reach it.

A unique monastery and village rolled into one, Samye is a highlight of a visit to Tibet. Situated amidst breathtaking scenery, the journey to Samye is splendid no matter how you arrive.

Shigatse or Rikaze Tibetan:is a county-level city and the second largest city in Tibet Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China, with a population of 80,000 about 250 km southwest of Lhasa. It is the administrative centre of modern Xigazê County in the Xigazê Prefecture, a region of Tibet.

The Tashilhunpo Monastery in Tibet is a borderland of culture,
religion and also political tussles. Established by the First Dalai Lama, Gendun Drupa, the Tashilhunpo Monastery in Tibet was set up in the year 1447. Aside of a monastery, the Tashilhunpo Monastery in Tibet serves as the residence of the second man in the Buddhist religious hierarchy: the Panchen Lama. The Tashilhunpo Monastery in Tibet received political attention when a dispute boiled over regarding the succession of the 11th Panchen Lama between the Chinese officials and the Tibetan monks. The other claim to fame of the Tashilhunpo Monastery in Tibet is the fact that it is Tibet's second largest monastery.

Situated at the juncture of Lhasa, Shigatse and Yatung, Gyantse has always been considered a place of great strategic importance. It became particularly famous after the bloody 1904 battle fought by the Tibetans in resisting Young husband's Expedition. Remnants of the battle and a hollow made by a cannon ball can still be seen on the perimeter walls of the Dzong Ford. The kumbum Pagoda in the Palcho Monastery is a spectacular architecture of the 15th century.

Namtso (officially: Nam Co; Mongolian: Tengri Nor; “Heavenly Lake”; 30°42′N 90°33′E / 30.7, 90.55) is a mountain lake at the border between Damxung County of Lhasa Prefecture and Baingoin County of Nagqu Prefecture in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China,190km north-west of Lhasa, is the second largest salt-water lake in China. It is also known as Sky Lake, the water is a miraculous shade of turquoise blue and there are magnificent views of the nearby mountains. The lake is the one of the 3 most significant holy lakes in Tibet and a well worth visit!