More of this Feature • Part 1: Intro • Part 2: The Potala • Part 3: Jokhang Temple • Part 4: Other Attractions

Elsewhere on the Web • Steven Baigel Photos • Asiaweek: China Goes West (Why Tibetans may go the way of Native Americans)

In 633 A.D. under the leadership of King Songtsan Gampo a Tibetan city was founded. It was named "Holy Place," or Lhasa. Today Westerners generally think of the mysteries of Tibetan Buddhism when the city is mentioned...

Photos Courtesy of Steven Baigel Click on the picture for a larger view.

That said, Lhasa is an intriguing destination with plenty to offer short term visitors and passing adventurers.

Despite the imposition of over 100,000 Chinese migrants to 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...