Lhasa
 Lhasa,
capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region,
covers an area of 544 square kilometers
and is "The Land of Gods" in Tibetan,
sits on the north bank of River Lhasa, a
tributary of the Yarlung Tsangbo River,
at an altitude of 3,700 meters. It has a
history of over 13 centuries. With more
than 3,000 hours of sunshine annually, Lhasa
is famed as " the City of Sunshine".
It is the capital of Tibet Autonomous Region
and the center of Tibet's political, economic,
cultural and religious activities. There
are many historic sites and famous relics
in the city proper and its suburbs, among
which the Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple,
Drepung Monastery, Sera Monastery and Gandan
Monastery are world famous.
 Before
the mid-seventh century when Lhasa, later
a central town of Tibetan region, was yet
to come into being, the area called Wotang
was a marshy land of wildness, frequented
by antelopes. On one bright summer day,
Songtsan Gampo, leader of the Tubo tribe
that had risen to power in the Yarlung River
Valley, was struck by the perilous position
of an area flanked by two steep mountains,
while bathing in the Lhasa River, and decided
that this was to be the home of his kingdom.
This 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 Wencheng of the Imperial
Tang Court. When the princess arrived, she
became convinced that Lake Wotang was a
devil's heart to be overpowered by the construction
of a grand temple after filling up the lake
with earth. The princess further suggested
that the earth be carried by white goats.
This imposing grand temple became a symbol
of the kingdom. The temple, later known
as Jokhang, was initially named Lhasa, "the
Sacred Land" in Tibetan. 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. The faithful
composed the population of the town and
Lhasa became a true "Mecca" of
Tibet.
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