Lhasa Overview

Lhasa is the capital of Tibet Autonomous Region and the center of Tibet's political, economic, cultural and religious activities. With a history of more than 1,300 years, it is the highest capital in the world. Lhasa literally means "place of the gods", although ancient Tibetan documents and inscriptions demonstrate that the place was called Rasa, which means "goat's place".

Lhasa is situated in the South Central part of the region, on the North bank of the Kyichu River (Lhasa River) in a mountain-fringed valley. The Lhasa River, known as the "merry blue waves," runs through the snow-covered peaks and gullies of the Nyainqentanglha Mountains, extending 315 km. The river empties into the Yarlung Zangbo River at Quxu, forming a scenic wonder that features blue and white water waves. This ancient sprawling city, settled 1,300 years ago, covers 30,000 square kilometers (11,583 square miles), with a population of 400,000, of which 87 percent are Tibetans. The urban population is 180,000.

There are also 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. With the opening of Qinghai-Tibet rail line, Lhasa attracts thousands of tourists from both home and abroad.

Lhasa Districts

Lhasa is a prefecture-level city that consists of one district and seven counties.

1 district:
Chengguan District

7 counties:
Lhunzhub County
Damxung County
Nyemo County
Quxu County
Doilungdeqen County
Dagze County
Maizhokunggar County