Lhasa, capital
of the Tibet Autonomous Region, covers an area of
544 square kilometers and is "The Land of Gods"
in Tibetan, sits on the north bank of River Lhasa,
a tributary of the Yarlung Tsangbo River, at an
altitude of 3,700 meters. It has a history of over
13 centuries. With more than 3,000 hours of sunshine
annually, Lhasa is famed as " the City of Sunshine".
It is the capital of Tibet Autonomous Region and
the center of Tibet's political, economic, cultural
and religious activities. There are 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.
Before the mid-seventh century when Lhasa, later
a central town of Tibetan region, was yet to come
into being, the area called Wotang was a marshy
land of wildness, frequented by antelopes. On
one bright summer day, Songtsan Gampo, leader
of the Tubo tribe that had risen to power in the
Yarlung River Valley, was struck by the perilous
position of an area flanked by two steep mountains,
while bathing in the Lhasa River, and decided
that this was to be the home of his kingdom. This
ambitious Tibetan king moved the center of his
rule to Wotang and ordered the construction of
his residence on the hilltop of Potala. In 641
A.D., Songtsan Gampo who by this time had conquered
the whole Tibetan region wedded Princess Wencheng
of the Imperial Tang Court. When the princess
arrived, she became convinced that Lake Wotang
was a devil's heart to be overpowered by the construction
of a grand temple after filling up the lake with
earth. The princess further suggested that the
earth be carried by white goats. This imposing
grand temple became a symbol of the kingdom. The
temple, later known as Jokhang, was initially
named Lhasa, "the Sacred Land" in Tibetan.
Over the centuries, Lhasa became a political and
religious center of Tibet.
Administrative orders were issued from the myriad
of imposing palaces; the great temples and monasteries
were home to omnipotent liturgical establishment
and witnessed the rise of many religious leaders
and endless religious ceremonies. The faithful
composed the population of the town and Lhasa
became a true "Mecca" of Tibet.
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