Things to do in Tibet
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Jokhang Temple
The 1300-year-old Jokhang Temple is the spiritual heart of Tibet: the continuous waves of awestruck pilgrims prostrating themselves outside are testament to its timeless allure.
The Jokhang was originally built to house an image of Buddha brought to Tibet by King Songtsen Gampo's Nepalese wife. However, another image, the Jowa Sakyamuni, was later moved here by the king's other wife (the Chinese Princess Wencheng), and it is this image that gives the Jokhang both its name and spiritual potency: Jokhang means 'chapel of the Jowo' and the central golden Buddha here is the most revered in all of Tibet.
The two-storeyed Jokhang is best visited in the morning, though the crowd…
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Pentoc Tibetan Restaurant
For something more authentically Tibetan, charming English-speaking Pentoc runs this local teahouse restaurant after working in Tashi I for many years. It's a good place to try homemade Tibetan standards, such as momos, thugpa, shemdre (rice, potato and yak meat), plus butter tea, chang (barley beer) and even dal bhat (lentils and rice). It's 20m down an alleyway off Beijing Donglu, on the left.
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Makye Amye
The past is tastier than the present at this watering hole overlooking the Barkhor. If the stories are to be believed, this was once a drinking haunt of the licentious sixth Dalai Lama, who met the famed Tibetan beauty Makye Amye here and composed a famous poem about her. Tour groups and Chinese tourists are drawn to the views of the Barkhor from the window tables and fine rooftop terrace but the food is just so-so.
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Potala Palace
The magnificent Potala Palace, once the seat of the Tibetan government and the winter residence of the Dalai Lamas, is Lhasa's cardinal landmark. Your first sight of its towering, fortress-like walls is a moment you'll remember for a long time.
An architectural wonder even by modern standards, the palace rises 13 storeys from 130m-high Marpo Ri (Red Hill) and contains more than a thousand rooms. Pilgrims and tourists alike shuffle down through the three storeys, trying to take in the magnificent chapels and prayer halls.
The first recorded use of the site dates from the 7th century AD, when King Songtsen Gampo built a palace here. Construction of the present structure began…
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Barkhor
It's impossible not to be swept up in the wondrous tide of humanity that is the Barkhor, a kora (pilgrim circuit) that winds clockwise around the periphery of the Jokhang Temple. You'll swear it possesses some spiritual centrifugal force, as every time you approach within 50m, you somehow get sucked right in and gladly wind up making the whole circuit again! Spiritual souvenirs and pilgrim accessories line the entire circuit, with stalls selling prayer flags, amulets, turquoise jewellery, Tibetan boots, cowboy hats, yak butter and juniper incense. It's the perfect place to start your explorations of Lhasa, and the last spot you'll want to see before you bid the city farew…
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Ani Sangkhung Nunnery
Head past Muslim tea stalls and butcher shops, along part of the Lingkhor pilgrim circuit to the yellow walls of the Ani Sangkhung Nunnery. This small, friendly and active nunnery is the only one within the precincts of the old Tibetan quarter. The site of the nunnery probably dates back to the 7th century, but it housed a monastery until at least the 15th century. The principal image, upstairs on the 2nd floor, is a thousand-armed Chenresig. Its teahouse is probably the nicest for a quiet cup of tea.
A small alley to the side of the main chapel leads down to the former meditation chamber of Songtsen Gampo, the 7th-century king of Tibet. The busy nuns run a great teahouse…
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Rabse Nunnery
Hidden behind the hill that runs between the monastery and the dzong is Rabse Nunnery, a delightful place decorated with prayer flags, chörtens and mani lhakhangs. The 'correct' way to visit is along the clockwise pilgrim trail that goes around the back of the Pelkor Chöde Monastery. To start, follow the road up beside the monastery and then swing right onto the dirt kora path.
Bring a compass as the way back takes you through a maze of streets in the old town (but what views of the fort in the distance!) Bring water and lunch too as once you get out to this splendid open area you're going to want to continue to Riche Ganden Retreat. A round trip from central Gyantse to…
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Chapel of the Dalai Lamas' Tombs
In the west wing of the assembly hall is one of the highlights of the Potala, the awe-inspiring Chapel of the Dalai Lamas' Tombs . The hall is dominated by the huge 12.6m-high chörten of the great fifth Dalai Lama, gilded with some 3700kg of gold. Flanking it are two smaller chörtens containing the 10th and 12th Dalai Lamas, who both died as children. Richly embossed, the chörtens represent the concentrated wealth of an entire nation.
One of the precious stones is a pearl said to have been discovered in an elephant's brains and thus, in a wonderful piece of understatement, 'considered a rarity'. Eight other chörtens represent the eight major events in the life of the B…
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Tashilhunpo Monastery
Tashilhunpo is one of the few monasteries in Tibet that weathered the stormy seas of the Cultural Revolution relatively unscathed. It is a real pleasure to explore the busy cobbled lanes twisting around the ancient buildings - the monastery is essentially a walled town in its own right.
The monastery's standing rocketed when the fifth Dalai Lama declared his teacher - then abbot of Tashilhunpo - to be a manifestation of Öpagme (Amitabha; a deification of the Buddha's faculty of perfected cognition and perception). Thus Tashilhunpo became the seat of an important lineage: the Panchen Lamas. Panchen means 'great scholar' and the title was traditionally bestowed on abbots of…
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King Songtsen Gampo's meditation chamber
Passing the Chapel of Sakyamuni (Zegya Lhakhang), continue to the NW corner where you'll find a small corridor that leads to King Songtsen Gampo's meditation chamber , which, along with the Chapel of Arya Lokeshvara on the 3rd floor, is one of the oldest rooms in the Potala. The most important statue is of Songtsen Gampo himself, to the left of the pillar. To his left is his minister Tonmi Sambhota (said to have invented the Tibetan script) and to the right are his Chinese and Nepali wives.
The king's Tibetan wife (the only one to bear a son) is in a cabinet by the door. The fifth Dalai Lama lurks behind (and also on) the central pillar. Queues for this chapel can be long…
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Ramoche
The Ramoche is the sister temple to the Jokhang, constructed around the same time as the Jokhang but in Chinese style. It was built to house the Jowo Sakyamuni image that is now in the Jokhang. The principal image in Ramoche is Mikyöba (Akshobhya), brought to Tibet in the 7th century as part of the dowry of King Songtsen Gampo's Nepali wife, Princess Bhrikuti. The image represents Sakyamuni at the age of eight years.
By the mid-15th century the temple had become Lhasa's Upper Tantric College. It is said to have been badly damaged by Red Guards during the Cultural Revolution but the complex has since been restored with Swiss assistance.
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Tengye Ling
The obscure and rarely-visited Tengye Ling chapel is a Nyingmapa-sect temple dedicated to the red-faced deity Tseumar, as well as Pehar (a protector linked to Samye) and Tamdrin (Hayagriva). The crates of baijiu (rice wine) stacked in the corner are there to refill the cup in Tseumar's hand; the chapel smells like a distillery. Look for the wonderful old photo of the Dalai Lama's pet elephant, stabled in the Lukhang behind the Potala.
The chapel is hidden in the backstreets west of the Snowlands Hotel and is hard to find; enter through the gateway marked by juniper and baijiu-sellers, just south of the Backstreet Bar.
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Dunya Restaurant
With its classy decor, wide-ranging dishes and interesting specials, this foreign-run eatery is popular with travellers who need something reassuringly familiar.
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Shöl
Nestled at the southern foot of Marpo Ri, the former village of Shöl, (which means 'at the base of') was once Lhasa's red-light district, as well as the location of a prison, a printing press and some ancillary government buildings. Some of these buildings have been rebuilt, including an inn supposedly favoured by the sixth Dalai Lama and the residence of the monk police chief.
Expect some kind of admission fee before long. There are plans for an exhibition hall, perhaps to include the famous three-dimensional mandala made of over 200,000 pearls that was formerly displayed inside the Potala.
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Meru Nyingba Monastery
Veer off the Barkhor Ciruit down the alley following the prayer wheels, then pass through a doorway into the old Meru Nyingba Monastery. This small but active monastery is a real delight and is invariably crowded with Tibetans thumbing prayer beads or lazily swinging prayer wheels and chanting under their breath. The chapel itself is administered by Nechung Monastery, which accounts for the images of the Nechung oracle inside.
The building, like the adjoining Jokhang, dates back to the 7th century, though most of what you see today is recently constructed.
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High Road to Lhasa
14 days (Kathmandu)
An overland Tibetan journey that affords stunning views of Everest.
Not LP reviewed
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Kunde Ling
Several hundred metres west of Chagpo Ri, Parma Ri is a much smaller hill with a couple of interesting sights. At the foot of the hill, close to Beijing Zhonglu, is one of Lhasa's four former royal temples, Kunde Ling . The ling (royal) temples were appointed by the fifth Dalai Lama, and it was from one of them that regents of Tibet were generally appointed. There are only a couple of restored chapels open, but it's a friendly place and worth a visit.
Look for the upstairs mural of the original Kunde Ling, 80% of which has been destroyed.
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Throne Room of the White Palace
As you arrive on the roof of the White Palace, head right for the private quarters of the 13th and 14th Dalai Lamas. The first room you come to is the Throne Room of the White Palace , where the Dalai Lamas would receive official guests. The large picture on the left of the throne is of the 13th Dalai Lama; the matching photo of the present Dalai Lama has been removed.
There are some fine murals here, including a depiction of Bodhgaya (where the Buddha achieved enlightenment) and the mythical paradise of Shambhala (by the entry).
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Lanqing Qingzhen Fanguan
There are several Muslim restaurants in the old town but this one is unique in having cosy Tibetan-style seating in the side room. The Xinjiang specialty xiaopanji (小盘鸡) - chicken in a sauce with potatoes and carrots on a bed of noodles - is bony but very tasty. The photo menu on the wall is a help, though these bear only a passing resemblance. For lunch try one of the noodle dishes, such as chaomianpian (fried noodle squares) or ganbanmian (a kind of stir-fried spaghetti bolognaise).
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Tsome Ling
Tsome Ling is the most interesting of the three. One of the four ling (royal) temples of Lhasa (along with Kunde Ling and Tengye Ling), this small site consists of two temples. To the east of the residential courtyard is the Karpo Potrang (White Palace), built in 1777, and to the west is the Marpo Potrang (Red Palace), built at the beginning of the 19th century. Both buildings have fine murals and are well frequented by pilgrims.
Of equal interest is the small embroidery and Tibetan mattress workshop on site.
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Barkhor Square
The square has become a focus for political protest and has been the scene of pitched battles between Chinese and Tibetans on several occasions, most noticeably in 1998 when several Tibetans were killed and a Dutch tourist was shot in the shoulder. Look for the video cameras recording everything from the rooftops above the square.
The recent addition of several tacky fast food joints at the west end of the square is a shame. At least the Chinese resisted the temptation to plunk a Mao statue in the middle of it all.
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Tashi I
This old standard feels like a slice of old Tibet and is a mellow place to hang out. Try the bobi (chapatti-like unleavened bread), which comes with seasoned cream cheese and fried vegetables or meat.
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Summer Palace of the Panchen Lamas
Though it ranks far below Tashilhunpo, if you have extra time in Shigatse, pay a visit to the Summer Palace of the Panchen Lamas on the south end of town. Recent efforts at rehabilitating the straggly gardens are taking fruit, as is the restoration or reworking of wall murals. While the new paintings cannot compare to the masterly works of the past, they are still quite lovely and, covering every surface of the rooms as they do with vibrant colours and fantastic images, form a rather awesome whole.
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Chapel of Arya Lokeshvara
Allegedly this is one of the few corners of the Potala that dates from the time of Songtsen Gampo's 7th-century palace. It is the most sacred of the Potala's chapels, and the image of Arya Lokeshvara inside is the most revered image housed in the Potala. The statue is accompanied on the left by the seventh Dalai Lama and Tsongkhapa, and on the right by the fifth, eighth and ninth Dalai Lamas and the protector Chana Dorje (Vajrapani). Relics include stone footprints of Guru Rinpoche and Tsongkhapa.
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Gesar Ling
On the north side of Parma Ri is the Gesar Ling, a Chinese construction that dates back to 1793 and was recently renovated. It is the only Chinese-style temple in Lhasa. The main yellow-walled temple has a statue of the mythical Tibetan warrior Gesar (associated with Guandi, the Chinese God of War) along with Guru Rinpoche on the left and Ekajati, the Dzogchen deity, on the right. A separate yellow chapel has a statue of an orange Jampelyang with Sakyamuni, Chana Dorje (Vajrapani) and Chenresig.
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