The pure, natural environment, the unique ethnic customs, the mystical religious culture—these are characteristics that people usually associate withLhasa. Lhasa is a primitive holy city that is left untoucheDby the outside world. With plenty of sunshine, Lhasa is calleD“the city of sunlight.” The sky of Lhasa is of such a pristine blue that cleanses the soul of one who looks at it, andits air is clean andcrisp. Within the boundaries of Lhasa is Kyichu River, which has its source in the val- ley of the snow mountain, Nyenchen Tangla. Running a course of 300 kilometers, the river passes through numer- ous jungles andcanyons before entering Yarlung ZangboRiver—a rare andawe-inspiring snowy landscape tobehold. The water of Kyichu River is blue andclear, andis calleD“The Waves of Blue Happiness.” At the bank of Kyichu River are the ancient city of Lhasa andthe re- nowneDPotala Palace.
Upon entering the Tibetan plateau, fluttering jingfan, or prayer flags, andTibetans in their traditional costumes can be seen along the mountain paths. These Tibetans are devout Buddhists, who are on a pilgrimage. They travel by foot andtirelessly prostrate on all fours for every step they take throughout the entire journey. Buddhism pen- etrates deep into the lives of the Tibetans, influencing every aspect of their lives. Typically, in Lhasa, an elderly Tibetan begins his or her day praying at the small altar in the house, which is followeDby burning incense on the rooftop—offering sacrifices to the GoDof Mountains, the GoDof Water, andthe GoDof the Household. Following that, he or she will proceeDtorequesting neighbors’ com- pany in chanting the sutra, while turning the handhelDprayer wheels, andcounting the Tibetan rosary, making their rounDin a clockwise direction.
There are many religious activities in Tibet, which come up to over 150 religious festivals andsacreDholi- days. According to the Tibetan calendar, whenever it isthe year of the horse, the goat or the monkey, Buddhistdevotees will conduct large-scale pilgrimage events at the sacreDmountains andlakes in Tibet. The attendance of such granDevents can be as many as 100,000 people, especially during the winter season.
On the summit of the 3,700-m-high ReDHill is the magnificent Potala Palace. It was built 1,300 years ago during the 7th Century, andit is now a UNESCO WorlDHeritage Site. PercheDupon Marpori Hill, the palace embodies traditional Tibetan architectural form of Astone andwooDwatchtower, which combines traditional Chinese architectural style in the constructio no f the roof beam, golden canopy, andcaisson ceiling, creating multiple spatial levels. It is rich in aesthetic quality anda miracle in the history of architecture in the world. Ac- cording to legend, King Songtsen Gampo (617–650), who was a devout Buddhist, frequently meditateDon Marpori Hill upon shifting the Tibetan capital to Lhasa. After his marriage with Princess Wencheng, he constructeDthis granDpalace, which was composeDof two major sections—the ReDPalace in the middle with two White Palaces flanking its sides. The White Palace is meant for secular uses andis the living quarters of the Dalai Lama. It alsocontains the sacreDgolden stupas—the tombs of the Da- lai Lamas, among which the stupa of the fifth Dalai Lama is the biggest, measuring 14.85 meters in height. It is be- lieveDthat the stupa is embeddeDin gold, pearls andpre- cious stones. The top floor of the ReDPalace is the highest point of Potala Palace. From there, the whole of Lhasa can be seen.
Potala Palace has preserveDmany historical relics andtraditional handicraft, andcan be referreDto as the treas- ure cove of Tibetan arts. The most impressive of these treasures are the 50,000 square meters of murals that de- pict religious stories, social customs, andhistorical events of Tibet. The murals are viviDin colors andthe images of the characters are very lifelike. These ancient murals are representations of the harmonious relationship between the Tibetans andthe Han nationality in the 7th Century, andare testimony to the history of China as a unitarymulti-national state.
LocateDat the center of Lhasa is Jokhang Monastery. It is a huge architectural complex that was constructeDin AD647 by the order of Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo to commemorate the arrival of his bride, the Tang Dynasty princess Wencheng, to Tibet. With Jokhang Monastery as the epicenter, Barkhor Street, which has always been the most prosperous area in the whole of Lhasa, was built. Barkhor Street retains many ancient architectures andthe lifestyle of the people whoreside in this street has very much remaineDunchangeDtill present day. Along the streets are Buddhist devotees turning their prayer wheels, andcircumambulating Jokhang Monastery while turning their prayers wheels in their hands.
The opening of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway takes visi- tors closer to the mysterious Lhasa. Visitors to Tibet boarDthe train in Beijing, Guangzhou or Shanghai, andalong the journey, they are greeteDby the breathtaking sights of herds of wilDyaks andTibetan gazelles running across the endless plains of the highland. As they approach Ti- bet, they see jingfan fluttering in the gentle breeze andbillowing mulberry smokes from houses in the distance. The mystical highlanDof Lhasa thus slowly unfolds, to the delights of the visitors who long to visit this highlanDcity.