Lhasa History

Lhasa, a city nestled on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, is the capital of Tibet and one of the most representative places on this vast highland. It is not only the political, economic, and cultural center of the region, but also an important sacred site of Tibetan Buddhism, attracting countless pilgrims and visitors over the years.

As a highland city, Lhasa’s connection with the outside world was relatively limited in the past. However, with the passage of time, it gradually became more widely known. Due to its unique geographical setting and rich cultural heritage, Lhasa has developed along a path distinct from other regions of China, showcasing its own remarkable historical and cultural character.

Called as "place of the gods" in its direct English translation, one would wonder how Lhasa would come to be, its humble beginning, how it rose to be known as the sacred land, its struggles, and how a culture survived and endure all challenges to become such a magnificent place we all know today.

Lhasa was formed around the 7^th century AD and was spearheaded by Songtsen Gampo. He was a respected icon in his valley of Yarlung, with a goal of unifying the whole Tibetan region started by his father, he systematically did that and as a sign of power, moved the capital to Lhasa and built a castle there, which we all now known as the Potala Palace, one of UNESCO's world heritage sites. Religion was a big part of his conquest of Tibet, marrying two brides from China and Nepal, each presented dowries of precious Buddhist statues from their countries to be housed in Ramoche and Jokhang, where are still considered as the places of worship and holy grounds by the Buddhist population.

The Yarlung empire didn't last forever; after 250 years, it had broken up, and Buddhism was now flourishing outside of Lhasa, where monastery centers were being built, and power within Lhasa shifted to China's Tsang dynasty. No longer the Capital Lhasa suffered a great blow to its economy, culture, religion and way of life. It would be a backwater country within China's great Tang Dynasty until it was given salvation by the hands of the 5^th Dalai Lama - Ngawang Lobsang Gyatso, who defeated the kings of the dynasty with great assistance from the even greater Mongol forces at the time. Ngawang Lobsang Gyatso moved the capital back to Tibet, and he stayed there as Tibet's capital since 1642.

The present-day Lhasa gives the best tales of Tibet. Before October of 1950 a town on the foot of Potala was known which had links and pathways going to the residents of Jokhang, it was called Shöl but now has disappeared. The west gate was demolished for charging admissions to the holy city during the Cultural Revolution but was rebuilt with a smaller version in 1995.

In conclusion Lhasa had been through a lot of ups and down with the flow of time, nonetheless, it had survived it all and now have stood the test of time and now seen as an important part of not only Buddhism but also a part of the rich history of our world.