   #copyright

Lhasa

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Geography of Asia

   Lhasa prefecture-level city in Tibet Autonomous Region
   Enlarge
   Lhasa prefecture-level city in Tibet Autonomous Region

   Lhasa ( Tibetan: ལྷ་ས་; Wylie: lha-sa; Simplified Chinese: 拉萨;
   Traditional Chinese: 拉薩; pinyin: Lāsà), sometimes spelled Llasa, is the
   traditional capital of Tibet and the capital of the Tibet Autonomous
   Region of the People's Republic of China. It is also the traditional
   seat of the Dalai Lama.

   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". Its altitude is
   about 3,650 m (12,000 ft), making it one of the highest cities in the
   world. The city is home to about 200,000 inhabitants.
   Potala Palace, Lhasa's most famous landmark
   Enlarge
   Potala Palace, Lhasa's most famous landmark

Administration

   Early 19th-century Russian map of Lhasa.
   Enlarge
   Early 19th-century Russian map of Lhasa.

   Administratively speaking, 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 (Tibetan:
   ཁྲིན་ཀོན་ཆུས་, Wylie: khrin kon chus, Simplified Chinese: 城关区;
   Traditional Chinese: 城關區; pinyin: Chéngguān Qū). The seven counties are
   Lhünzhub, Damxung, Nyêmo, Qüxü, Doilungdêqên, Dagzê, and Maizhokunggar.

History

   Legend has it that the second Tibetan emperor Songtsen Gampo made Lhasa
   his capital. But contemporary documents (e.g. The Old Tibetan Annals)
   show that the empire was ruled from a moving capital.

   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.

   The fifth Dalai Lama, Lobsang Gyatso ( 1617– 1682), conquered Tibet and
   moved the centre of his administration to Lhasa. There, he started
   constructing the Potala Palace, which was finished some years after his
   death. During this time, Lhasa gained its unquestioned status as the
   political capital of Tibet.

   In the first half of the 20th century, several western explorers made
   celebrated journeys to the city, including Francis Younghusband,
   Alexandra David-Néel, and Heinrich Harrer. Lhasa was the centre 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 area's monasteries. As of the early 2000s, the city's
   population stands at about 250,000. For the history of Tibet since
   1950, see the history of Tibet.

Geography

   Lhasa is located in the Lhasa Valley of Tibet.
   Enlarge
   Lhasa is located in the Lhasa Valley of Tibet.
   Location within China
   Enlarge
   Location within China

   Lhasa lies at 29°41.76′N 91°9.54′E in an area known as the " Lhasa
   Valley"; even though the average altitude of the valley is well over
   3,000 m (10,000 ft) the mountains around it rise to 5,500 m (18,000
   ft). The Kyi (or Kyi Chu) River, a tributary of the Brahmaputra River,
   runs through the city.

   Depending on how the status of Tibet before 1950 is interpreted, Lhasa
   can be regarded as the highest national capital at that time,
   surpassing La Paz, Bolivia, which currently holds that distinction.

Economy

   The tourism industry now brings significant business to the region,
   building on the attractiveness of the Potala Palace, the spectacular
   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 ground heat extraction in the
   area.

Demographics

   The total population of Lhasa Prefecture-level City is 521,500
   (including known migrant population, excluding military garrisons). Of
   this, 257,400 are in the urban area (including migrant population of
   100,700), while 264,100 are outside. Nearly half of Lhasa
   Prefecture-level City's population lives in Chengguan District, which
   is the administrative division that contains the urban area of Lhasa
   (i.e. the actual city).

   According to the 2000 census, the ethnic distribution in Lhasa
   Prefecture-level City was as follows in November 2000:
   Major ethnic groups in Lhasa Prefecture-level City by district or
   county, 2000 census
   Total Tibetans Han Chinese others
   Lhasa Prefecture-level City 474,499 387,124 81.6% 80,584 17.0% 6,791
   1.4%
   Chengguan District 223,001 140,387 63.0% 76,581 34.3% 6,033 2.7%
   Lhünzhub County 50,895 50,335 98.9% 419 0.8% 141 0.3%
   Damxung County 39,169 38,689 98.8% 347 0.9% 133 0.3%
   Nyêmo County 27,375 27,138 99.1% 191 0.7% 46 0.2%
   Qüxü County 29,690 28,891 97.3% 746 2.5% 53 0.2%
   Doilungdêqên County 40,543 38,455 94.8% 1,868 4.6% 220 0.5%
   Dagzê County 24,906 24,662 99.0% 212 0.9% 32 0.1%
   Maizhokunggar County 38,920 38,567 99.1% 220 0.6% 133 0.3%

   Excludes members of the People's Liberation Army in active service.
   Source: Department of Population, Social, Science and Technology
   Statistics of the National Bureau of Statistics of China
   (国家统计局人口和社会科技统计司) and Department of Economic Development of the State
   Ethnic Affairs Commission of China (国家民族事务委员会经济发展司), eds. Tabulation on
   Nationalities of 2000 Population Census of China (《2000年人口普查中国民族人口资料》).
   2 vols. Beijing: Nationalities Publishing House (民族出版社), 2003. ( ISBN
   7-105-05425-5)

   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

   The Barkhor, a place for both walking meditation and shopping
   Enlarge
   The Barkhor, a place for both walking meditation and shopping

   Lhasa has many historic relics, including the Potala Palace, Jokhang
   Temple, Sera Monastery, Zhefeng Temple, Drepung Monastery and
   Norbulingka. However, many important sites were damaged or destroyed
   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

   Tibetan marketplace in Lhasa
   Enlarge
   Tibetan marketplace in Lhasa
   A busy intersection on the outskirts of the city
   Enlarge
   A busy intersection on the outskirts of the city

   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; in particular, 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 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.
   Train numbered 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. 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 Airport is located about 98 kilometres (61 miles) south of the
   city.

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 to
   life in Lhasa during the 1940s.
   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lhasa"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
   of authors and sources) and is available under the GNU Free
   Documentation License. See also our Disclaimer.
