You can also think of Lhasa as having one of the most temperate climates in Asia. During the 52 days between June 20th and August 10th it was warmer than 80F degrees in Lhasa in 2001 only once. The temperature didn't reach 75 degrees on 36 of those days. Temperatures at night always fell below 56 degrees, and fell into the 40's on 10 nights. Twenty-three of those days saw rain.
But weather is far from being the city's only asset. Lhasa is the gateway to one of the most fascinating places on earth. Despite the imposition of over 100,000 Chinese migrants on the city, Lhasa remains the heart and soul of Tibet. Tibetan culture and religion are so intertwined as to be inseparable, and most of the tourist sites of Lhasa are religious in nature. Chief among them is the Potala -- the fortress-palace-monastery that dominates the city's skyline...
At almost 120 meters high, the Potala is an overwhelming presence on the Lhasa skyline. Its 13 stories house over 1000 rooms, and portions of the structure date back to the 7th century. The Potala formerly served as the seat of both government and religion in the Tibetan Kingdom. Most of the original structure was destroyed in the 9th Century. The current Potala was rebuilt by the 13th Dalai Lama in the 16th Century.
The Potala can be divided into the Red Palace and the White Palace. The mausoleums for past Dalai Lamas are in the Red Palace. The most spectacular of these is that of the 5th Dalai Lama; his mausoleum in the west portion of the Red Palace is built of sandalwood and stands five stories high. It is inlaid with about 8100 pounds (3700 kg) of gold and encrusted with pearls, turquoise, agate, diamonds and coral.
The White Palace traditionally held the living quarters for the Dalai Lama and his tutors. Today, with the current Dalai Lama in exile, the Chinese government has turned this area into a museum. The White Palace also held the government offices of pre-Communist Tibet. An official seminary and printing house are still lodged in the White Palace.
The Potala is filled with enough art that visitors could reasonable expect to spend weeks there without having taken it all in. Not all of the art is Tibetan; there are some works from the Q'ing Dynasty era.
With the Potala mostly now a relic of pre-Communist rule in Tibet, the real heartbeat of Tibetan culture and Tibetan Buddhism in Lhasa is Jokhang Temple and the surrounding public area of Barkhor Street. The temple has been considerably expanded since it was built in 647, mostly by the 5th Dalai Lama.
Today pilgrims come from all over Tibet and the world to walk, crawl or role along the street outside the monastery. The evening atmosphere of chanting pilgrims and yak-butter lamps along the streets mixed with vendors hawking souvenirs and the general press of flesh is transporting; close your eyes and you are in medieval Tibet.
Two Tibetan institutions founded only recently (1980) are preserving some aspects of the Tibetan heritage: the Tibetan School of Performing Arts and the Tibetan Traditional Hospital, both in Lhasa. Both are worth a visit. The art school is not far from the Potala.
When you say "Tibet" most people think of harsh weather. But Lhasa has perhaps the best climate in the region. It is nicknamed "The Sunshine City" and is frost free eight months out of the year - and sweat free most of the summer.