Tibet

The Tibet Autonomous Region, perched on the southwest Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, is a southwestern frontier region in china. At an average altitude of 4,000 metres, Tibet is the world's largest and highest plateau known as the 'Roof of the World'. The world's largest canyon the Yalung Zangbo Canyou, is in Tibet. In the mid-7th century, Songtsan Gambo established the unified Tubo dynasty and befriended the Tang Dynasty by marrying Princess Wencheng in 641 AD. In the mid-13th century, Tibet was incorporated as an administrative region of the Yuan Dynasty. Peaceful liberation came in 1951, and serfdom was abolished during the Democratic Reform of 1959. The Tibet Autonomous Region was officially established in 1965.
Breathtaking is hardly an adequate word for Tibet's landscape, which consists of snow-capped mountains of astonishing heights,primitive forests, vast steppes, mighty rivers, the world's highest lakes, and exotic wildlife and plants. Tibetans, who make up upwards of 90 percent of the local population, are born singers and dancers with a splendid civilization. Buddhist art thrives, and among the region's 2,700 temples are such famous ones as the Potala Palace, the Norbulinka Palace, the Jokhong Temple, and the Tashilhunpo Monastery.

Abbreviation: Zang
Area: 1.2 million square km
Population: 2.56 million

THE PROVINCE'S MEAN TEMPERATURE ()

At an elevation of 3,700 metres, Lhasa (meaning: "Holy Place") is capital of Tibet Autonomou Region and a famous cultural city with a 1,300-year history. Bathed in sunshine for more than 3,000 hours a year, it is also a "Sunshine City". Major landmarks: Potala Palace, Jokhong Monastery, Sera Monastery, Drepung Temple, Gaindain Monastery, Norbulinka Palace. Lhasa's original look and old lifestyle are largely intact at Barhkor Street in the old part of Lhasa, where all sorts of arts and crafts are on sale. Lhasa is linked with Beijing, Chonqing, Chengdu, Xi'an and Kathmandu by airlines. The Xining Lhasa and Chengdu-Lhasa highways also provide major accesses to Lhasa.

Potala Palace

Potala Palace in downtown Lhasa is a 41-hectare complex which came under construction during Songtsan Gambo's 7th-century reign. Consisting of White Palace and Red Palace, with nearly 10,000 rooms, it was where the Dalai Lamas lived and handled political affairs. Housed in this castle-like palace are a wealth of Buddhist statues, murals, religious scriptures, and treasures. As a precious legacy of Tibetan culture, the Potala Palace is a UNESCO-endorsed world cultural heritage site.

Jokhong Monastery

Jokhong Monastery, built in 647 as the earliest wood-masonry structure in Tibet, is dedicated to a statue of Sakyamuni. It is also in the possession of a collection of cultural relics dating back to the Tang, which include statues of Songtsan Gambo and Princess Wencheng. Tang architectural elements are palpable in this monastery, a splendid four-floor building facing west under a gilded rooftop.

Xigaze

A 500-year-old cultural city 3,800-metre above sea level, Xigaze is the site of Benchen Lamas' residence in the Tashilunpo Monastery. The world-famed Mount Qomolanma (8,848.13 metres) stands to the south of the city. The emblem of the city is the Tashilunpo Monastery, established in 1447, where the fourth Benchen Lama and his successors resided and conduct political activities. Covering a floorspace of 300,000 square metres, the monastery is enshrined with the world's largest gilded bronze Buddhist statue, the 22.4-metre-high statue of Champa.

Nyingchi Prefecture

Nyingchi is a prefecture in the lower reaches of Yarlung Zangbo river. At an average altitude of 3,000 metres above sea level, it is home to Monbas, Lobas and some other ethnic minorities marked for their peculiar habits and custom. Mount Namjagbarwa and the Yarlung Zangbo, 496.9 km long and 5,382 metres in maximum depth and believed to be the world's largest canyon, are the most alluring of all the tourist resources in this prefecture.

Shannan Prefecture

Shannan, a prefecture 3,600 metres above sea level and with a mild climate in the middle reaches of the trunk Yarlung Zangbo River, was the cradle of the Tibetans. Among Shannan's cultural relics are Samye Monastery, Tombs of Tibetan Kings (Songtsan Gambo included), Chang-zhug Temple, and Yarlung River, a mysterious and breathtaking national scenic zone that showcases Tibet's snow mountains and glaciers, idyllic pastoral farms, alpine vegetation, historical sites, and folkways.

Ngari Prefecture

Situated in northwest Tibet 4,500 metres above sea level (hence the "Top of the Roof of the World"), Ngari prefecture is sparsely populated and studded with lads and a paradise of such wildlife as yaks, antelopes and wild donkeys. The ruins, and the holy mountain and lake of the fable Guge Kingdom are found there.

Nagqu Prefecture

Access to the northern Tibetan prefecture of Nagqu at an elevation of above 4,500 metres is made convenient by Xining-Lhasa Highway which runs right across it south and north. The exotic scenery of the holy lake of Namco (4,718 metres above sea level) combines with the unique lifestyle of the nomads to form an unusually idyllic landscape in this prefecture.

Qamdo Prefecture

The charming, fertile and vast land of Qamdo Prefecture embraces Hengduan Mountain, and Jinsha, Nujiang and Lancang rivers, and holds forth the fascination of wooded mountains, dense forests, age-old history and original folkways.

Exploratory Expeditions

Awesome mountains, an unpredictable climate, rapid rivers, alpine lakes, trackless jungles, and peculiar folklore are reasons why Tibet has caught the fancy of so many nature explorers, adventurers and mountaineers, who may contact travel services in Tibet for details of their prospective tours.

How to Get a Visa

Overseas visitors to Tibet shall process entry formalities upon showing confirmation letters issued by the Tibetan government.
Passports and Visas: The foreign tourist is granted the entry visa only when he or she holds a valid passport and a letter of visa notification for tour groups issued by a Chinese embassy in a foreign country and confirmed by the Tibetan Tourist Administration.

Entry Confirmation Letter: Overseas tour groups, those from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan included, are allowed to enter Tibet only with a confirmation letter from Tibet Autonomous Region's Tourism Administration. The administration has representative offices in Beijing, Chengdu, Golmud, Shanghai, Xining, Xi'an, Hong Kong, Kathmandu, Japan and the United States to handle group tours.

Tibetan New Year: New Year's Day according to the Tibetan calendar, which begins in 1027, is the foremost of all secular festivals in Tibet.

Grand Summons Ceremony: Also known as Monlam, the Grand Summons Ceremony falls on the 1st-15th day of the first Tibetan month as the most important and grandest religious festival in Tibet.

Butter Lamp Festival: this festival takes place on the 15th day of the 1st Tibetan month which happens to be the last day of the Monlam Festival. During the day the Tibetans pay homage to the Buddha by turning prayer wheels in their hands; at night, they light butter-burning lamps and sing and dance to pray for blessings.

Shoton Festival: One of the major festivals in Tibet, the Shoton Festival takes place in August. Beginning from the 17th century, it has been converted into Tibetan Opera Festival.

Sorcerers' Festival: During this festival, which falls on the 29th of the 12th Tibetan month, large-scale sorcerers' dances take place at Lhasa's Potala Palace and other monasteries to subdue devils and ward off disasters.

Horse-Racing Festival: Horseback riding, archery and other cultural and sports activities take place during this festival, the largest local folklore celebration in Tibet which takes place in summer. Apart from horse racing, there are also other cultural and sports and trading activities. The festival draws the largest followings in Qiangtang of Dagqu, Gyangze, and Danxung.