Hotels in Lhasa, China

A little about Lhasa...

Lhasa, sometimes spelled Lasa, is the traditional capital of Tibet and the capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China. Lhasa is located at the foot of Mount Gephel.

The city is the traditional seat of the Dalai Lama and the Potala and Norbulingka palaces and in Tibetan Buddhism is regarded as the holiest centre in Tibet.

The city is home to 257,400 as of the 2004 census estimate, and at an altitude of approximately 3,650 metres (11,975 feet), is one of the highest cities in the world.

Lhasa literally means "place of the gods", although ancient Tibetan documents and inscriptions demonstrate that the place was called Rasa, which means "goat's place", until the early 7th century.

The city is part of a township-level prefecture, the Lhasa Prefecture consisting of 7 small counties: Lhünzhub County, Damxung County, Nyêmo County, Qüxü County, Doilungdêqên County, Dagzê County and Maizhokunggar County.

Lhasa has many sites of historic interest, including the Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Sera Monastery, Zhefeng Temple, Drepung Monastery and Norbulingka. However, many important sites were damaged during the Cultural Revolution.

Landmarks
Barkhor
Central Beijing Road
Jokhang
Lhasa Carpet Factory
Lhasa Hotel
Lhasa railway station
Lhasa west railway station
Norbulingka
North Linkor Road

According to the region's authorities, 1.1 million people visited Tibet in 2004. Chinese authorities plan an ambitious growth of tourism in the region aiming at 10 million visitors by 2020; these visitors are expected to be mostly ethnic Chinese. Proponents of greater Tibetan autonomy are concerned that the increase in tourism will lead to an erosion of the indigenous culture of Tibet; in particular, these proponents have stated that renovation around historic sites, such as the Potala Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, are creating a jarring "Disney-like" degradation of the sacred site.

There are no pubs in Lhasa. There are some night spots which feature cabaret acts in which performers will sing English, Chinese, Tibetan, and Nepalese songs and dancers wear traditional Tibetan costume with long flowing cloth extending from their arms. As well, there are a number of small bars with live music, although they typically have limited drink menus and cater mostly to foreign patrons.

In 1995 a British electronic music act Banco de Gaia released the album Last Train to Lhasa. The Chinese rock artist Zheng Jun has recorded a hit song titled "Back to Lhasa" (Hui Dao Lasa). The song is filled with swirling Tibetan influences and rapidly took on the status of a classic. Lhasa is also referenced in "Terranigma", a RPG videogame that was released for the Super Nintendo in 1995.