LHASA:
At
an altitude 3650 m is the religious center of Tibet and will overwhelm
you with its extraordinary sights. The Potala Palace, which was
once the winter palace of Dalai Lamas, presides over the city.
Constructed in 1645 at the top of a hill, it is one of the wonders
of Tibet. It contains 1,000 rooms, 10,000 shrines and 200,000
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JHOKHANG
TEMPLE:
The
old city revolves around the Jhokhang Temple and the
quaint Bharkor market that surrounds it. The Jhokang
is the spiritual center of Tibet, its most holy place,
and has been the destination, over time, of millions
of Tibetan pilgrims. The oldest part of the Jhokang
dates from the 7th century.
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NORBULINGKA:
which means "the jeweled garden" is the 18th century
Summer Palace of the Dalai Lamas. It lies 3 km. (2 miles) west
of the Potala, near the Lhasa Hotel. Palaces, pavilions, a zoo,
gardens and woods cover 40 hectares (100 acres). It has the finest
trees in Lhasa and its park like atmosphere fills one with a sense
of light heartedness, making it less demanding than most sights
in the city. |
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SHIGATSE:
is Tibet's second largest city, with an altitude of
3,900 m and lies 274 km to the west of Lhasa. It is
the administrative center of a vast area, formerly
called Tsang, that includes most of West Central Tibet.
The highway runs alongside the Yarlung Tsangpo (Brahmapurtra)
river, passing through narrow gorges and broad river
valleys. Farmers plowing 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.
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TASHILHUNPO:
meaning "Heap of Glory", was the seat of the Panchen
Lamas. Built in 1447 by Tsong Khapa's youngest disciple,
it is Shigatse's most important cultural and religious site.
It lies at the foot of Dromari, or "Tara's Mountain",
on the west side of Shigatse and is today one of Tibet's
most active monasteries. The main chapel here contains a
huge 26 m high statue of Maitreya. Other buildings contain
images of Sakyamuni (the present Buddha), white and green
Taras and embalmed bodies of past Panchen Lamas.
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GYANTSE:
At
an altitude of 3,800 m, is about 210 km from Lhasa
and 95 km from Shigatse. Once Gyantse was Tibet's
third most important city and the center of Tibet's
wool trade. But in recent years other places in Tibet
have grown faster and in comparison it is now a fairly
small town. Gyantse's symbol is the Kumbum Stupa which
is 32 m high and contains 77
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rooms and 100,000 images of the Buddha. Built in 1427
Kumbum is the finest example of 15th century Nepalese
Newari art still existing in the world. Phalkor Chode
and Gyantse Fort are the other major sights you can
visit. |
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TSEDANG:
3,400
m, at the foot of Mount Gongbori, one of Central Tibet's holy
mountains, is known as the cradle of Tibetan civilization. It
is around 200 km from Lhasa offering a number of side trips that
illustrate Tibet's early history, including: The valley of the
Kings (ancient capital of the Yarlung Kings who established the
Tibetan nation) and the Yumbu Lakang castle (oldest known dwelling
in Tibet, the home of the Yarlung Kings). Samye, Tibet's first
monastery, is located 30 km from Tsedang and was founded in 779
by King Trisong Detsen, Tibet's "Second Religious King",
after he had invited prominent Buddhists to Tibet from India.
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