Tibet Autonomous Region is located at the Southwest part of China, with a land area of 1.22 million square kilometers and a population of 2.3 million, in which, 95% are Tibetan nationality. There are also 30 other nationalities in Tibet, such as Han, Menba, Luoba, Hui, Mouggul, Naxi as well as Cheng and Sharba peoples.

Tibet is the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau proper, with an average land rise of 4,000 meters above the sea level. It is well-know as the Roof of the World and The Third Pole of the Globe. The world highest summit Himalayan, which strides across the boarder between China and Nepal, claims a height of 8,848 metres above the sea level. The characteristics of the Plateau climate are the great difference of different heights and of days and nights. The northern part is arid and cold. On the whole, Tibet claims a low temperature, long-day sunshine, strong radiation, rare rainfall and thin air.

The pastoral area of Tibet is one of the five biggest in China, in which sheep, goat and yak are grazed. Farming crops are mainly highland barley, wheat, bean and rape seeds as well as some apples and walnuts. Tibet has forest coverage of 60,000 square kilometers, which is the second largest timber deposit in China. Famous and dear animal and herb medicines, such as musk, pilose antler, bear's gallbladder, Chinese caterpillar fungus, the tuber of elevated gastro sits, the bulb of fritillary and the snow lotus flower, are world-famous. The Deposit of hydroelectric and geothermal power is at the top of the country's reserves; solar energy is the second.

Being the capital city, with 1,300 years of history, Lhasa, which means holy land of Buddha's land in Tibetan, is the political religious economical and cultural centre of Tibet.

Tibetan culture originated from Tibet. Human activities traced back to the later ages of the Paleolithic. The king of Tibet, Songzangarbu, unified Tibet in the 7th century. A.D. and established Tibet dynasty, which twice weaved matrimonial relations with Tang Dynasty in the 7th and 8th centuries. In the 13th century, Tibet became an administrative region of Yuan Dynasty; a Gedanpozang government was established during the rule of the fifth Dalai Lama, and it was confirmed by the Qing Dynasty government; a standing minister to Tibet was authorized. After the 1911 Revolution, administrative agencies were set up in Tibet by the Government of the People's Republic of China.

Main Attraction in Tibet: A tour to the mysterious land of Tibet will be one of the most unforgettable experiences of your life. Tibet is not only famous for its stunning landscapes and historic architecture, but also for the unique culture of the Tibetans. Everything in this amazing province is unique, and specially adapted to the harsh elements of the Roof of the World. Here is some information introducing main attractions in Tibet but in fact there are much more..

Lhasa Attractions
Lhasa City: Lhasa, the capital of Tibet Autonomous Region, is located on the north bank of Lhasa River, a sub branch of Yarlung Tsangpu River. Standing at 3,648m above sea level, it gets 3021 hours of sunshine annually and thus also named "Sunlit City". "Lhasa" means "Holy Land" in Tibetan language. Since Songtsan Ganpu, one of Tibetan Kings established his capital here in 7th century; Lhasa has then acted as the center of Tibet politics, economy, culture, transport as well as a sacred place of Tibet Buddhism.

Potala Palace: Potala Palace is the essence of ancient Tibetan architectural art and a symbol of Tibetan people's wisdom and power. It is located on the western part of Lhasa City. In 641, Songtsan Ganpu decided to build this grand palace for his wife - Princess Wencheng of Tang dynasty. However, it was later destroyed by some lightening strike and warfare in Landama's reign. Only in 17th century, the Fifth Dalai Lama rebuilt it. And then The Thirteenth Dalai Lama expanded it to today's scale. The palace is more than 117 meters high and 360 meters wide. Standing on the top of Mt. Putup , it looms over the entire Lhasa city. In 1994, Potala Palace was added to the list of world cultural heritage sites by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

The Jokhang Temple: Located in the center of the old Lhasa city, Jokhang Temple is the first monastery for most pilgrims to visit as it is widely recognized as the spiritual center of Tibetan Buddhism. It was built in 647. Everyday many pilgrims trek a long distance here with some even prostrating by body length. Around the temple is the famous Barkhor Street where you can get a close touch with local Tibetan people.

The Barkhor Street: A circular street around the Jokhang Temple in the center of the old section of Lhasa, it is the oldest street in a very traditional style in Tibet, where you can enjoy bargaining with the local Tibetan vendors for the handicrafts which are rare to be seen elsewhere in the world. Barkhor Street is one of the most important religious paths along which pilgrims walk around Jokhang Temple while turning prayer wheels in their hands through centuries. Buddhist pilgrims walk or progress by body-lengths along the street clockwise every day into deep night.

Norbulingka Park: Norbulingka means "Jeweled Garden", built in 1751 AD as a summer palace for the Dalai Lama where they handled political affairs and practiced religious activities. Now a large-scale palace complex and garden in Tibetan style covering an area of 40 hectares, the whole park has 370 rooms of different sizes and lawns shaded by green trees and enclosed by various flowers. Before 1959, commoners had no access to this park. Nowadays, on festivals and holidays, the local people in their colorful costumes come here with food and tents to sing and dance overnight.

Sera Monastery: Sera means "Wild Rose Garden" in Tibetan because lush wild rose woods once grew around it, the monastery is one of the three largest monasteries in Tibet. Located at the northern outskirts of Lhasa, it was built in 1419 AD by Jamchen Choje (or Sakyayeshe), one of the eight disciples of Tsong Khapa who was the founder of Gelugpa Sect. Sera Monastery houses three colleges built in 15th and 16th century respectively as well, and it is famous for the "Buddhism Scriptures Debating".

Drepung Monastery: it is the largest monastery in Tibet. At its peak time, there were more than 10,000 monks. It was founded in 15th century at 5km to the western suburb of Lhasa, and once served as the living palace of Dalai Lama before reconstruction of Potala Palace. Here you can find great murals, Buddhist scriptures and crafts.

Ganden Monastery: it is the first Gelupga monastery in Tibet (Gelupga is Pachen Lama and Dalai Lama's order). It was founded in 1409 in Taktse County, about 45 kilometers east of Lhasa. There are extremely delicate murals and sculptures. In 1961, it was listed as one of historical relics subject to state protection by the State Council.

Namtso Lake: it is one of the three most sacred Lakes in Tibet, located at the northern Lhasa, Dangxung County; you can get there from Lhasa in 3hours. It is just like a crystal gem inlaid on the vast Qiangtang Plain. The Nyaiqen Tanglha mountain range with peaks over 7000 meter towers over the Lake to the south. Thawed snow from this range makes the body of the lake, so the water is a miraculous shade of turquoise blue, and there are magnificent views of the nearby mountains. The wild open spaces are intoxicating and dotted with the tents of local nomad herders.

Shigatse Attractions
Shigatse: Sometimes it is written as Xigatse, means "fertile land" and stands at the junction of the Yarlong Tsangpo and Nyangchu River. It used to be the capital of Tsang and now is the capital of Shigatse prefecture. The 600 year old city is the traditional seat of the Panchen Lama, who is one of the two prestigious spiritual leaders in Tibet and the abbot of the Tashilhunpo Monastery. About 350 km from Lhasa, it is an important stop between Lhasa and west Tibet where pilgrims and tourists often wander. Shigatse has a population of over 80,000, of which 97% are Tibetan. It is the second largest city within Tibet has undergone large scale development. Most tourist facilities stand along Jiefang Dong Lu, Beijing Bei Lu, Zhufeng Lu and Shandong Lu. West of the market and below the Dzong is the old Tibetan quarter where many people like to visit.

Yamdrok Yumtso Lake: it is one of holy lakes in Tibet lying about 100 kilometers southwest of Lhasa. It is 4441 meters above sea level. We usually drop a visit here on the way from Lhasa to Gyantse. There are many islands providing homes to wild ducks and geese. It is also called the "Fish Store of Tibet".

Palkhor Monastery: At the foot of Dzong Hill nearby Gyantse, Pelkhor Monastery is a very special monastery in Tibet. There are monks from Gelugpa, Sakyapa and Kahdampa order living harmoniously together although they quarreled and fought. It is famous for the Kumbu Stupa built in 1412 and completed 10 years later. In the stupa, there are 108 gates and 77 chapels

Pala Manor: A ten-minute drive from Gyangtse will take you to Pala Manor, a place that will give you something of an insight into the lifestyle of the wealthy landowning people who once lived in this area. Originally Pala, the former owner of the Manor, was a Bhutanese chief but due to civil strife in Bhutan, he moved to Tibet with his family where in due course he became a local official. At the time of the Tibet Democratic Reform in 1959 he left Tibet along with the Dali Lama to live in exile. In the days before the Democratic Reform, the manor had included twenty-two smallholdings, six lots of grassland and farmland covering some 8600 Mu (1414.45 acres). More than 14,250 cattle were grazed here and 2,440 serfs worked on the estate. Their tasks included general farm labor and animal husbandry as well as wine production. In addition many were engaged in knitting, sewing and the catering chores and other tasks necessary for the running of the estate. The peasantry had virtually no freedom, was treated harshly and suffered a very inadequate standard of living. Yet through their labor they helped provide their master with a grand lifestyle while they lived in dark and overcrowded conditions with a lack of amenities that could hardly be imagined in a modern society.

Shalu Monastery: It is located 20 kilometers (12 miles) south of Shigatse, built in 1040. In 1329, an earthquake destroyed the monastery. In 1333, it is rebuilt under the patronage of the Chinese Mongolian emperor. Since many Chinese Han artisans participated in rebuilding the monastery, the style combined the local Tibetan style with the Chinese style of the Yuan Dynasty. This is the only monastery in Tibet that combines these styles.

Tashilumpo Monastery: It was built in 1447 AD, the oldest and largest Gelugpa monastery in Tibet, the seat of Banchen Lama, painted in red and white, the buildings in the monastery stand closely together in terraced rows, offering a grand and majestic view. The most amazing image in this monastery is the statue of giant Maitreya (Future Buddha)- -the largest one in the world, erected by the 9th Panchen Lama in 1914, it stands 26 meters in height and 275 kg in weight with solid gold, great quantity of precious things such as pearls, turquoises, corals and ambers. The image of the Buddha is kind, generous and vivid.

Sakya Monastery: It is also called the "Second Dunhuang" as it stores numerous valuable art pieces. In addition to lots of statues of Buddha, there are tens of thousands of sutras written in gold powder. So it is also known as the greatest religious library in Tibet. 130 kilometers southwest of Shigatse, the monastery is divided into two parts by the Drum River. However the northern monastery was left with nothing but ruins from which you can still see what a splendid history it ever had. The southern monastery is in good condition. In 1961, the State Council cited it as one of the cultural relic units subject to state protection.

Mount Everest: Mt. Everest standing at 8,848.13 meters above sea level, Mt. Everest is the highest mountain on earth. It is also called "Mt. Qomolangma" in Tibetan language. The eternal snow at the peak, massive glaciers and seracs make it such a natural splendor that every year, many mountaineers and tourists from all over the world come here to get a life-long experience with it.

Lhakha is also called Tsedang, is the cradle land of Tibetan civilization, it is 200km far from Lhasa.

Samye Monastery: it was built in 761 and is the first formal monastery that establishes triratna in Tibet. Combining Chinese, Tibetan and Indian architecture style, the structure reflects the ideal universe of Buddhism. There are many valuable and unique murals which hardly can be seen at anywhere else. Usually we will take a ferry to visit it crossing the Yurlong Tsangpu River.

Trandruk Monastery: It was built in 7th century; Trandruk Monastery is the first Buddhist chapel in Tibet. It houses a precious pearl Thangka brought here by Princess Wencheng. This Thangka is inlaid of thousands of pearls and hundreds of other gems. Located 5 kilometers south of Tsedang, the monastery is on the road leading to Yumbu Lakhang, the first palace in Tibet. So when time permits, we will arrange the visit to Trandruk Monastery and Yumbu Lakhang on the same day.

Ngari Attractions
Ngari: In the Western Tibet, is a vast barren plateau and renowned as the Roof of Tibet. As the place where the sacred lake (Lake Manasarova) joins the sacred mountain (Mt. Kailash), Ngari is a holy pilgrimage destination of Tibetans and Hindus, as well as a popular challenge to trekkers.

Mount Kaillash: Gang Rimpoche" in Tibetan language, Mt. Kailash is the sacred mountain in Buddhism, Hinduism and the local Bon faith. It is believed that circumambulation around it can wash away one's sin, which usually takes 3 days to complete on the foot. In the year of horse in Tibetan calendar, many pilgrims come here to conduct circumambulation as they believe that at this time, one round will equal to 13 rounds in other normal years.

Lake Manasarovar: Lying in front of Mt. Kailash at 4,588 meters above sea level, Lake Manasarova is one of the highest freshwater lake in the world and a holy lake for Buddhism, Hinduism and the local Bon as well. People who come to conduct circumambulation around the sacred mountain usually will not miss visiting this lake as they believe the holy water in it can cure all kinds of diseases. The nearby Lake Rakshastal (La'nga Tso) connecting underground with the holy lake is however a saltwater lake and called "Ghost Lake". Though also beautiful in scenery, people may fell weird while standing at the bank due to its strange name.

Guge Kindom: It was founded around tenth century by a descendant of King Lang Darma who fled from Lhasa after the collapse of Tubo Kingdom. It played an important role in the second renascence in Tibet and survived for about 700 years before disappearing mysteriously in the 17th century. The ruins lie on a hill near a river and cover 180,000 square meters. At the hilltop are the palaces while the monasteries were on the hillside and cave dwellings for common people were at the foot of the hill. Murals, sculptures and stone inscriptions were found in the surviving structures. They are of great artistic and aesthetic value, especially the murals which are comparable with that of Mogao Caves and probably the only traces of the once glorious kingdom. After visiting here, you may feel hard to imagine how such a grand castle was built and existed for so many years in the remote Nagri area.

Lhakha Attractions:
Nyingchi: Lying in the southeastern part of Tibet, Nyingchi sits at the middle and lower reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo. Shouldering Qamdo on the east, Nyingchi has Nagqu as the northern neighbour, with Lhasa and Shannan on the west and southwest. India and Myanmar lie on the southern border. The region includes seven counties: Nyingchi, Medog, Mainling, Gongbo'gyamda, Zayu, Bomi and Nang. On the region of 99,700 square kilometres live 159,200 people (by the year 2000). Besides the Tibetan people, there are also the Han, Monba, Lhoba ethnic minorities and the Deng people.

Basumtso Lake: It is the main attraction of Nyingchi area. Lying 90 kilometers west of Gongbogyamda County is a stunning highland lake. It is a notable holy lake of Nyingmapa order of Tibetan Budhism. Reflecting the picturesque snow-capped peaks around, it offers a "Swiss Alps" like scenery. In 1997, it was listed by World Tourism Organization as a world tourist site.