A city built around a temple
Lhasa sits in a broad valley beside the Kyichu River, on the Tibetan plateau at roughly 3,650 metres above sea level. For many Tibetan Buddhists it is the most important pilgrimage destination in Tibet, and the way the city developed explains why: it grew up around a shrine rather than the other way round.
According to Tibetan tradition, the Tibetan king Songtsen Gampo, who ruled in the 7th century, moved his centre of power to the Lhasa area and sponsored the building of the Jokhang Temple. The exact dates, and even some details of who did what, are matters on which traditional histories and modern scholars differ, so it is safest to say that the Jokhang is traditionally dated to the 7th century and that Lhasa’s religious importance has deep roots from that era. The name Lhasa is often explained as meaning “place of the gods”, and the area is said to have been known earlier by another name; accounts vary.
This period is also linked in tradition with the first serious arrival of the Buddhist teachings at the royal court. How that unfolded over the following centuries, including setbacks, is a long story, and the broader account of how Buddhism reaches Tibet is better read separately. What matters here is that the Jokhang became a focal point, and the settlement around it became a place people travelled to in order to pray.
The three layers of the old city
A useful way to picture Lhasa is as a set of concentric paths of devotion centred on the Jokhang.
- The Jokhang itself holds the image of the Buddha as a young prince, known as the Jowo, which is the heart of Lhasa devotion.
- The Barkhor is the lane that encircles the temple complex, walked clockwise by pilgrims every day.
- The Lingkhor is a much wider ring around the old town and the Potala hill, traditionally walked as a longer act of merit.
Walking clockwise around a holy place is a widely shared devotional act across Buddhist traditions, and circumambulation practice has its own meanings and variations. In Lhasa, the circuits are not museum pieces but a living part of daily life, and visitors who join the flow of pilgrims should walk in the same direction and at the same unhurried pace.
The Potala and the Dalai Lamas
On the Red Hill (Marpo Ri) above the valley stands the Potala Palace, associated in tradition with Songtsen Gampo’s earlier palace on the site. The building seen today is largely the result of a rebuilding that began in the 17th century under the Fifth Dalai Lama, when Lhasa became the seat of the government headed by the Dalai Lamas. Over the centuries it served as winter residence, administrative centre and a place of worship, and it contains chapels and the tombs of earlier Dalai Lamas. Today it is a protected heritage site and is open to visitors under controlled arrangements. Its construction and layered history are covered in the separate articles on the palace, so only the outline is given here.
The Potala, the Jokhang and the former summer palace of Norbulingka are included in UNESCO’s World Heritage listing for Lhasa’s historic ensemble. The Potala was inscribed in 1994, and the Jokhang was added as an extension in 2000, with Norbulingka following later.
Monasteries around the valley
Beyond the old town, three large monasteries of the Gelug school are traditionally associated with Lhasa: Drepung, Sera and Ganden. Ganden lies further out of the city, while Drepung and Sera are on its outskirts. Each has a long institutional history as a centre of monastic study, and Sera in particular is known to visitors for its afternoon debating practice, which is a good introduction to monastic education. That school is one of several Tibetan Buddhist schools, each with its own lineages and emphases; the site’s articles on Ganden Monastery give more detail on the third of these institutions.
Smaller temples, nunneries and hermitages dot the surrounding hills. Some are tied to legends of Songtsen Gampo, others to teachers of later centuries. Opening arrangements for these smaller places vary a great deal and change over time.
What pilgrims do in Lhasa
Visitors will see people from across the Tibetan regions, some of whom have travelled for days or even weeks. Common acts include:
- walking the Barkhor and other circuits, often with a prayer wheel in hand,
- prostrating, either briefly at the temple gate or full-length in a sustained series,
- offering butter lamps and scarves inside the temples,
- reciting prayers and mantras while walking.
Prayer wheels and flags are everywhere, and their meanings are covered in their own article. Practice differs between communities and traditions, and nothing here should be taken as the single correct way. If in doubt, watch quietly and follow the lead of those around you.
Practical cautions
Permits and access. Entry arrangements for foreign visitors to Tibet, and rules about where they can go and how they must travel, have changed over time and can change at short notice. Some sites require advance tickets or timed entry, and some areas may be closed without notice. Please check current official sources and your own government’s travel advice before making any plans; anything stated here may be out of date. Tibet pilgrimage route planning is best done with up-to-date information rather than older guidebooks.
Altitude. At around 3,650 metres, Lhasa is high enough for many arrivals to feel the effects of thin air, such as headaches, poor sleep or breathlessness. This is a serious matter, and altitude sickness awareness should be part of any plan. Talk to a medical professional before travelling, allow time to acclimatise rather than rushing, and take warning signs seriously. Nothing in this guide is medical advice, and no preparation guarantees that a person will be unaffected.
Respectful behaviour. Dress modestly, remove hats where requested, keep voices low and ask before photographing people or the interiors of chapels, since photography is often restricted inside. Do not touch sacred objects or monastics, and follow local guidance, which can differ between places. The principles in temple entry customs and temple photography etiquette apply in Lhasa as elsewhere.
Reading the city
It helps to hold two ideas together. Lhasa is a place of long history, with traditions about kings, queens and an early temple that historians continue to study. It is also a living religious centre, where the activity on the Barkhor on an ordinary morning is a form of devotion. Approaching it with both in mind, and with a willingness to move slowly, tends to make a visit more rewarding.