Lhasa's Ocean of Culture        2008-6-24 21:32:10

Surrounded by jagged mountains and steeped in mysticism, Buddhism continues to define Lhasa's culture. Busy markets, sweet incense and flowing yellow robes all greet you as you take your first step into the city.

After spending hours gazing out of your airplane window at snow peaked mountains, the clouds finally open up to reveal a vast plain surrounded by mountains. It's as if you have arrived in another world of clouds, mountains and color. Lhasa is the heart of this Buddhist land hidden away amongst the mightiest mountain range in this world, the Himalayas.

In Lhasa you'll find religion blended into every aspect of life - the city is the spiritual anchor of Tibet. Lhasa literally means "holy land" and it's a well-deserved name. With many holy sites, Lhasa is an important place of pilgrimage for people from all over Tibet who stream into the city from far-flung villages. They're easily identifiable with their prayer flags and prayer wheels; the signs of devotion abound throughout the land.

It's easy to forget that you're already at an altitude of 3,650m as you look at the towering mountains that surround Lhasa, but that's why Tibet is also known as the "rooftop of the world." The 93kin trip from the airport to the city follows the winding path of the scenic Lhasa River, families work in fields of barley and yellow canolo flowers as young monks walk along the roadside. Vivid colors are set against the mountains, surrounded by ever-changing clouds and the deep blue sky.

Lhasa itself is a noisy vibrant city, a mixture of old and modern. The city has an eclectic mix of people, Tibetans with their colorful clothes, Sichuan migrants with their spicy cuisine, as well as explorers, mountaineers and tourists from all over the world. There's a saying describing Tibetans, "that if a Tibetan can talk, he can sing; if he can walk, he can dance." This aptly describes their lively and vibrant culture.

Over 1,300 years old, Lhasa dates back to the 7th century AD when the colorful Tibetan figure, Songtsen Gampo, built his palace in Lhasa. In 1642, the 5th Dalai Lama also made Lhasa his capital and rebuilt the architectural wonder, the Potala Palace, on top of the ruins of Songtsen's old abode. Today the Potala Palace continues to dominate the Lhasa skyline and is the most visible of all of the city's sights. It offers one of the best views of Lhasa and the surrounding area, especially in the early morning. The Potala Palace is comprised of the White Palace, which was the living quarters of the Dalai Lama and the central religious Red Palace. It's in the Red Palace that you can move through narrow corridors, dimly lit by many small butter lamps, to see the jewel-encrusted tomb stupas of the 5th and the 7th to 13th Dalai Lamas. The many chapels and former apartments give an insight to what life must have been like centuries ago in this theocratic sanctuary.

Some of Tibet's richest treasures are held in the Potala Palace, particularly in the western part of the Red Palace. One especially dramatic sight is the jewel-encrusted tomb of Lobsang Gyatso, the 5th Dalai Lama. His 14.85m tall tomb stupa contains 3,721 kg of gilded gold as well as 10,000 precious pearls and stones. One of the most beautiful works of Buddhist art is also here, the mandala of the Wheel of Time which contains 200,000 pearls as well as coral, turquoise and gold thread. Mandalas are a pictorial representation of the Buddhist universe; not only are they beautifully intricate, they're also deeply symbolic. They're an aid in teaching young monks while older monks use them as a visualization tool for meditation.

The Norbu Lingka, built in 1751 as the summer residence of the Dalai Lama, lies 3km west of the Potala Palace. As harsh winters gave way to spring, a grand procession of Lamas and officials accompanied the Dalai Lama from the Potala Palace to his summer home. Norbu Lingka, which means "jeweled garden," is a fitting title for the large compound of buildings and extensive gardens. Successive Dalai Lamas continually expanded the palace and up until 1959, commoners weren't allowed within its walls. Today this once forbidden palace is ideal for quiet strolls and lazy afternoons. The palace contains some fabulous murals fusing Tibetan history and myth.

The Potala Palace is Lhasa's best landmark

Some of the finest murals are found at the back of the woods in the Golden Lingka and Chensal Potrang.

One of the best places to view modern day Lhasa and its diversity of culture is in the bustling Barkhor, a section of the old city. Here, the Barkhor Market has all manner of goods from turquoise jewelry to meditation beads, colorful traditional Tibetan clothes and yak wool sweaters. Here you can watch groups of monks draped in their maroon and saffron robes mingling with Tibetans from remote areas wearing long boots, sporting daggers and large turquoise necklaces.

Long streams of pio