Located on Marpo Ri Hill, northwest of Lhasa city center, the capital of Tibet Autonomous Region, China, it is the world's highest-altitude grand building that integrates palace, castle, and monastery. It is also the largest and most complete ancient palace-castle complex in Tibet.
Located in the center of the old town of Lhasa, it is a Tibetan Buddhist temple built by King Songtsen Gampo. The reason why Lhasa is known as the 'Holy Land' is related to this statue of Buddha. The temple was initially called 'Rasa', which later became the name of the city and evolved into the current 'Lhasa'. After its completion, Jokhang Temple underwent numerous modifications and expansions during the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, forming its current scale.
Sera Monastery is located in the northeast of Lhasa, built against the mountain, and is one of the most famous monasteries of the Gelug sect. The most famous activity here is the debate sessions held around 3 PM every day (Monday to Friday). Additionally, you can climb the mountain behind the monastery. There is a large rock halfway up the mountain where you can sit and meditate. With seagulls circling in the sky and the sound of bells from the monastery, it gives a sense of transcendence and tranquility.
Drepung Monastery is located in the northwest of Lhasa, built on the mountain and entirely white, giving a feeling similar to Minas Tirith from 'The Lord of the Rings'. Drepung Monastery also hosts debates, and the Buddha exhibition during the Shoton Festival is held here. There are direct buses between Sera Monastery and Drepung Monastery, making it very convenient.
Visiting Lhasa without going to Zhayeba Monastery is like making a new dress without sewing the collar. There are no public buses to Zhayeba Monastery; you can either take a shuttle bus from Yutuo Road early in the morning or hire a car. The shuttle bus returns quite early, so if you're not careful, you might miss it. Zhayeba Monastery is a place of spiritual practice, with several famous caves said to be the meditation sites of Guru Rinpoche and the Tibetan King. During the off-season, there is no entrance fee. On the day we visited, there were no tourists, only a few pilgrims. From the high points of the monastery, you can see for miles around: layered mountains, a clear blue sky, and red shrubs. It is indeed a great place for spiritual practice.
Magpie Pavilion - Restaurant Recommendation
Magpie Pavilion is located in a courtyard on the south street of Barkhor Street (there is a sign on the street). Enter the courtyard and go to the second floor to order something. You can also drink tea and eat on the second floor, but the third-floor terrace is sunny with fluttering prayer flags. You can make friends, chat with girls, or just daze, read books, play with your phone, or play cards. Most of the people who come here are Tibetan drifters, with relatively few tourists. The prices here are reasonable; milk tea, sweet tea, and butter tea are all five yuan per thermos. Although the food is Tibetan cuisine, it has been adapted to inland tastes. Compared to Guangming, this place is more leisurely, and compared to Makye Ame, it is more affordable and down-to-earth.
