In Retrospect: Lhasa

When I spent a month in Tibet in 2003, it was during a period of relative peace when ethnic tension between the Han Chinese and Tibetans was at a lull. There were no major anniversaries of any uprising or suppression or riots. So tourists were allowed to roam around Lhasa unimpeded.

I flew in from Chengdu and, being at 3700 meters from sea level for the first time, immediate got altitude sickness. My head was pounding non-stop; I lost my appetite, and had to gasp for air even by walking from my hostel room to the toilet down the hall. Through the first night, I constantly woke up gasping for air. On the second day, it took me half a day to get out of bed. I had some food and felt a little better. I regained my appetite quickly and was able to walk around soon after that, but the headache persisted for a whole week.

Much of Lhasa consisted of the drab utilitarian buildings found in every other Chinese city. The Tibetan Quarter, with buildings bearing the characteristic white-washed walls and crimson trim, had now been reduced to an area clustered around the venerated Jokhang Temple. I went out on three separate trips to see other parts of Tibet and came back to Lhasa to wash, rest, and plan the next trip.

On the flight from Chengdu to Lhasa, the Himalayas below looked unnervingly close to the plane.

The Potala Palace, once the seat of Tibetan theocracy, is now a museum.

The Chinese made sure that everyone knew who was in charge.

The gilded roof of the Potala Palace shined in the sun.

The concrete square just in front of the Potala Palace

The ruins of the buildings just within the Palace compound was a reminder of the destruction carried out in the city in the last fifty years.

Looking out from top of the imposing Potala Palace

View of the White Palace


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Jokhang Temple was built in the seventh century by King Songtsan Gampo to celebrate his marriage to the Chinese princess Wencheng.

Flower pots on the windowsill

Vendors line the plaza in front of Jokhang Temple, with Potala Palace in the background.

The Dharma wheel flanked by two deer, the symbol of Tibetan Buddhism, is placed at the top of every temple.

Decoration on one of the bronze bells at the top of Jokhang Temple


Pilgrims come from all over the land to prostrate themselves in front of Jokhang Temple, often for hours at a time.

The worn-out padding used by a pilgrim for her prostrations

Pilgrims, and some tourists, waited in line to enter the main temple.

Thousands of lamps fueled by yak butter gave the air a buttery scent.

The kora around Jokhang Temple also served as a market that sold religious paraphernalia.

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Sera Monastery, one of three great university monasteries of Tibet, is situated in the outskirts of Lhasa.

Crimson-robed monks participating in debates

Solar power at its finest

Norbulinka, just a couple of kilometers down the road from the Potala Palace, was the summer residence of the Dalai Lama when he ruled Tibet.

One of the buildings in the Norbulinka compound and its neglected yard

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The front gate of this house near the Norbulinka hints at the wealth of its inhabitants.

Trunks for sale

Always circumambulate a temple counterclockwise, and spin the prayer wheels in the same direction.

Just taking a rest

Playing chess on the sidewalk

I saw outside an electronics store this advertising poster featuring none other than Arnold himself touting a machine to help students learn a foreign language. Hmm, did Arnold use it to learn English?

The sleeper bus I boarded to leave Tibet