Lhasa means the living place of the immortals in Tibetan. With an altitude of 3700 meters, Lhasa is also noted as the Sunshine City for its rich sunshine. A large number of visitors would like to travel to Lhasa to admire this holy city by rotating the prayer wheels in the monasteries.
There is no doubt that Potala Palace is the most famous landmark on Tibet Plateau. Potala Palace enjoys the highest elevation among the palaces around the world. Its rich cultural relics and art works attract a large quantity of visitors from different corners of the world. It is recorded that the construction of Potala Palace could be dated back to the middle of the 7th century. The ancient magnificent palace with a history of more than 1300 years has become the top one must-visit site for tourists traveling to Tibet.
For the protection of the construction of Potala Palace and its historical collections, the management committee of Potala Palace settled a strict limitation on the daily number of visitors. It should be noted the daily maximum number of visitors allowed to enter into Potala Palace is 2300. Tourists willing to visit Potala Palace are required to book the admission tickets one day in advance. While booking the admission tickets, tourists are required to provide valid identity document. It is a little difficult to get an admission ticket of Potala Palace in the peak season between May and October. The opening time of Potala Palace is 09:00-12:00 a.m. and 15:30-16:30 p.m.
Except for Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple is also a must-visit site for visitors in Lhasa. It is recorded that Jokhang Temple is the most splendid construction completed in Tubo Kingdom and the most ancient civil structure in Tibet. The deep religious atmosphere is also an important attraction for visitors from different corners of the world. Visitors here are always impressed by the devout pilgrims in Jokhang Temple.
Jokhang Temple is a world famous monastery with a history of more than 1300 years. Tourists visiting Jokhang Temple should note that photographing is forbidden in Jokhang Temple. It should be noted that Jokhang Temple is mainly opened to the Buddhism pilgrims and would not receive tour groups with more than 10 members. Therefore tour groups are strongly suggested to visit Potala Palace between 11:30 and 17:30.
Barkhor Street is located in the center of the Lhasa ancient city. It is the most well preserved old street in Lhasa. Tourists visiting Barkhor Street will have the chance to explore the religion and folk culture in Tibet. It is said that Barkhor Street is the best place for selecting some local style souvenirs, such as prayer wheel and thangka. Barkhor Street is also noted as one of the most famous circumambulation in Tibet. It is always crowded by continuous pilgrims from the sunrise to the sunset.