Lhasa sometimes spelled Llasa, is the capital of Tibet and the capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China. Lhasa literally means "place of the gods", although ancient Tibetan documents and inscriptions demonstrate that the place was first called Rasa, which means "courtyard place" or "goat place".
The town is the traditional seat of the Dalai Lama and in Tibetan Buddhism is regarded as the holiest centre in Tibet.
The city is home to about 255,000 inhabitants and, at an altitude of approximately 3,650 m (12,000 ft), is one of the highest cities in the world.
History
A primitive record of the ancient history of the Lhasa region exists, dating from around the 1st century1st century, passed down by forefathers of the Tibetan race. According to Tibetan history, the Tibet Plateau during this period was dotted with various tribal clans, which are known as the "12 small states" or "40 small states" in Tibetan history books.
Of these large tribes, the most powerful ones included the Yarlung tribe in the Shannan River valley, the Zhangzhung Regime in Ngari, and the Supi tribe north of the Yarlung Zangbo (Brahmaputra) river around present day Lhasa. At that time, the Lhasa River Valley was known as the "Gyiqoiko," with present-day Lhasa called "Gyixoiwotang" (meaning fertile land downstream from the Gyiqoi River).
The Gyiqoi River Valley was then ruled by two princes : Dagyiwo and Chibangsum of the Supi tribe and efore the mid-seventh century the area became known as Wotang, and was a marshy land of wildness, frequented by yak and antelopes.
In the early 7th century, Nangri Songtsan, leader of the Yarlung tribe, sent his troops northward, crossing the Yarlung Zangbo River, coordinating the Nang clans under the rule of Chibangsum to overpower him and to rule the whole of the Gyiqoi (Lhasa) River Valley. Namrisum had his headquarters set up at Gyiamargang in Maizhokunggar, and built several palaces built in the narrow gully, which ran from south to north. Songtsen Gampo, his son was born in the Qamba Mingcholing Palace at Gyiamargang.
However according to Tibetan legend, by the mid 7th century, Songtsen Gampo had grown up and had become leader of the Tubo Kingdom that had risen to power in the Yarlung River Valley. One day he was struck by the perilous position of an area flanked by two steep mountains, while bathing in the Lhasa River. He decided that this was to be the home of his kingdom and moved in his men to commence building and Lhasa was founded. However contemporary documents such as The Old Tibetan Annals have suggested that the whole empire was ruled from a moving capital rather than a fixed base in Lhasa.
The ambitious Tibetan king moved the center of his rule to Wotang and ordered the construction of his residence on the hilltop of Potala. In 641 A.D., Songtsan Gampo, who by this time had conquered the whole Tibetan region, wedded Princess Wen Cheng of the Imperial Tang court and brought her to the area as the construction on his grand temple was almost complete. The temple became a symbol of the kingdom and was initially named Lhasa iself, "the Sacred Land" in Tibetan, later becoming known as the famous Jokhang Temple.
Over the centuries, Lhasa became a political and religious center of Tibet. Administrative orders were issued from the myriad of imposing palaces; the great temples and monasteries were home to omnipotent liturgical establishment and witnessed the rise of many religious leaders and endless religious ceremonies.
In the 15th century, the city rose to prominence following the founding of three large Gelugpa monasteries by Je Tsongkhapa and his disciples in the 15th century. The three monasteries are Ganden, Sera, and Drepung monasteries which were built as part of the puritanical Buddhist revival in Tibet. The scholarly achievements and political savvy of this sect eventually pushed Lhasa once more to center stage.
The Fifth Dalai Lama, Lobsang Gyatso (1617-1682), conquered Tibet and moved the center of his administration to Lhasa, as the religious and political capital of Tibet. In 1645 the Potala Palace began reconstruction on Red Hill. In 1648, the Potrang Karpo (White Palace) of the Potala was completed, and the Potala was used as a winter palace by the Dalai Lama from that time. The Potrang Marpo (Red Palace) was added between 1690 and 1694. The name Potala is possibly derived from Mount Potalaka, the mythological abode of Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara. The Jokhang Temple was also greatly expanded around this time. Although some wooden carvings and lintels of the Jokhang Temple date to the 7th century, the oldest of Lhasa's extant buildings, such as amidst the Potala Palace, the Jokhang and some of the monasteries and properties in the Old Quarter date to this second flowering in Lhasa's history.
In the first half of the 20th century, several western explorers made celebrated journeys to the city, including Francis Younghusband, Alexandra David-N?el, and Heinrich Harrer. Lhasa was the center of Tibetan Buddhism, and nearly half of its population were monks. The population of Lhasa was estimated at 25,000 in 1951, excluding some 15,000 monks in the area's monasteries, although with the invasion of China many people fled from the city including the living 14th Dalai Lama who fled from his residence in the Potala Palace into exile in India in 1959.
Geography and climate
The city is located in the Lhasa Valley of Tibet and the prefecture covers an area of close to 30,000 km2. Tibetan ethnic group makes up 87 percent of the total population. Lhasa is also home to the Tibetan, Han, and Hui peoples, as well as many other ethnic groups.
Located at the bottom of a small basin surrounded by mountains, Lhasa lies in the center of the Tibetan Plateau. The mountains around it rise to 5,500 m (18,000 ft). The Kyi (or Kyi Chu) River, a tributary of the Yarlung Zangbo River, runs through the city. The city stands by the Lhasa River known to local Tibetans as the "merry blue waves,". It runs through the snow-covered peaks and gullies of the Nyainqentanglha mountains, extending 315 km. The river empties into the Yarlung Zangbo River at Q?x?.
With its flat land and mild weather, Lhasa is free of both frigid winters and unbearably hot summers, having an annual average daily temperature of 8 degrees C (43 degrees F). It enjoys 3,000 hours of sunlight annually. It is sometimes called the "sunlit city."
Lhasa has an annual precipitation of 500 mm. It rains mainly in Summer. The rainy seasons are widely regarded the "best" seasons of the year, when it rains mostly at night, and is sunny in the daytime.
Lhasa can be regarded as the highest national capital at that time, surpassing La Paz, Bolivia, which currently holds that distinction.
Administration
Lhasa is a prefecture-level city that consists of one district and seven counties. The district comprises the urban area of Lhasa and is called Chengguan District. The seven counties are Lh?nzhub, Damxung, Ny?mo, Q?x?, Doilungd?q?n, Dagz?, and Maizhokunggar.
Economy
In view of maintaining the balance between human and nature, tourism and service industry are emphasized by local governors as two growth engines for the future.
Agriculture and husbandry in Lhasa is at a high standard. Mainly, people plant highland barley, winter wheat and rape in Lhasa. The resources of water conservancy, geothermal heating, solar energy, and various mines are abundant.
There is widespread electricity, and use of both machinery and traditional methods in the production of textiles, leathers, plastics, matches, embroidery, etc... The production of national handicrafts has made great progress recently.
Sunset industries which cause serious pollution will fade out. Environmental problems such as soil erosion, acidification, and loss of vegetation are being addressed on the local goverment agenda.
A farmer's market near the Potala sells an abundnat variety of fresh produce. The tourism industry brings significant business to the region, building on the attractiveness of the Potala Palace, the Himalayan landscape, and the many wild plants and animals native to the high altitudes of Central Asia. Many of Lhasa's rural residents practice traditional agriculture and animal husbandry. Lhasa is also the traditional and current hub of the Tibetan trading network. For many years, chemical and automobile plants operated in the area, because the city's remoteness allowed them to pollute with minimal restriction. However, this has changed in recent years. Copper, lead, and zinc are mined nearby, and the Chinese government is experimenting with new methods of mineral mining and geothermal heat extraction in the area.
Demographics
The total population of Lhasa Prefecture-level City is 521,500 (including known migrant population, excluding military garrisons). The Tibetan government in exile and other Tibetan groups say that, if the excluded PLA garrisons and migrants from outside Tibet are considered, ethnic Tibetans are now the minority in Lhasa.
Due to the partial liberalization of the economy over the past decade, greater freedom of movement and various government incentives, thousands of Han Chinese from China proper have settled in the area, and play a large part in Lhasa's economy.
Culture
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.
The city of Lhasa contains three concentric paths used by pilgrims to circumambulate (walk around) the sacred Johkhang Temple, many of whom make full or partial prostrations along these routes in order to gain spiritual merit.
- The innermost, the Nangkor (Nang-skor), is contained within the Jokhang temple, and surrounds the sanctuary of the Jowo Shakyamuni, the most sacred statue in Tibetan Buddhism.
- The middle circumambulatory, the Barkor (Bar-skor), passes through the old town and surrounds the Jokhang temple and various other buildings in its vicinity.
- The outer Lingkor (Gling-skor) encircles the entire traditional city of Lhasa. Due to the construction of a large new street, Beijing Lam, the Lingkor is not usually used by pilgrims today.
Tourism
According to the region's authorities, 1.1 million visitors visited Tibet in 2004. Chinese authorities plan an ambitious growth of tourism in the region to 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. 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.
Journalists report that the opening of the railway - the highest plateau railway in the world - in July 2006 has brought with it an increasing demand for property which has pushed prices up.
Three trains arrive in and depart from Lhasa railway station each day.
- The train T27 takes 47 hours, 28 minutes from Beijing west, arrives in Lhasa at 20:58 every day. The ticket costs 389 yuan for hard seat, or 813 yuan for a lower hard sleeper, 1262 yuan for a lower soft sleeper.
- The train T28 from Lhasa to Beijing west departs at 08:00 and arrives in Beijing at 08:00 on the third day, taking 48 hours.
There are also trains from Chengdu, Chongqing, Lanzhou and Xining. Initially the large altitude difference has caused problems on this route, giving passengers altitude sickness. To counter this, extra oxygen is pumped in through the ventilation system, and personal oxygen masks are available.
Lhasa in entertainment
Life in Lhasa was covered by Austrian mountaineer Heinrich Harrer in his book Seven Years In Tibet and the film of that same name which starred Brad Pitt and David Thewlis. The book in particular relates the story of his life in Lhasa during the 1940s.
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.
From Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lhassa
Text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Text_of_the_GNU_Free_Documentation_License
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