The Summer Palace

The Summer Palace landscape, dominated mainly by Longevity Hill and Kunming Lake, covers an area of 2.9 square kilometers, three quarters of which is under water. Its 70,000 square meters of building space features a variety of palaces, gardens and other ancient-style architectural structures. The Summer Palace is a monument to classical Chinese architecture, in terms of both garden design and construction. Borrowing scenes from surrounding landscapes, it radiates not only the grandeur of an imperial garden but also the beauty of nature in a seamless combination that best illustrates the guiding principle of traditional Chinese garden design, which is: "The works of men should match the works of Heaven".

From as early as the eleventh century the palace was called Potala. This name probably derives from Mt. Potala, the mythological mountain abode of the Bodhisattva Chenresi (Avilokiteshvara / Kuan Yin) in southern India. The Emperor Songtsen Gampo had been regarded as an incarnation of Chenresi. Given that he founded the Potala, it seems likely that the hilltop palace of Lhasa took on the name of the Indian sacred mountain. The Potala Palace is an immense structure, its interior space being in excess of 130,000 square meters. Fulfilling numerous functions, the Potala was first and foremost the residence of the Dalai Lama and his large staff. In addition, it was the seat of Tibetan government, where all ceremonies of state were held; it housed a school for religious training of monks and administrators; and it was one of Tibet's major pilgrimage destinations because of the tombs of past Dalai Lamas. Within the White Palace are two small chapels, the Phakpa Lhakhang and the Chogyal Drubphuk; dating from the seventh century, these chapels are the oldest surviving structures on the hill and also the most sacred. The Potala's most venerated statue, the Arya Lokeshvara, is housed inside the Phapka Lhakhang, and it draws thousands of Tibetan pilgrims each day.
 

Included on UNESCO's World Heritage list in 2000 as part of the Potala Palace, the Jokhang Temple is located in central Lhasa in Tibet. With an area of 25,100 square meters (about six acres), it is the ultimate pilgrimage destination for Tibetan Pilgrims. The Jokang Temple is a four-storey timber complex with a golden top. It adopted the architectural styles of the Tang Dynasty, as well as those of Tibet and Nepal. Standing in the square of the Jokang Temple, one can view the entire complex. On the square there are two steles, one recording an alliance between the king of Tibet and the emperor of the Tang, the other portraying the teaching of the Tibetan people of how to prevent and treat smallpox, a once incurable disease in Tibet.

In the eastern section of the yard there are rows of votive lights. These flicking lights provide a path leading all the way to the main hall. The main hall, over 1,300 years old, is the oldest shrine of the complex. Above the major entrance, there is a Dharma Wheel (chakra) flanked by two deer. This represents the unity of all things and symbolizes Sakyamuni himself. On both sides of the passageway, paintings showing the building of the temple, and renderings of the temple from the seventh century are adorned on the wall. The statue of Sakyamuni at age 12 sits in the middle of the hall. It has been gilded many times and decorated elaborately with jewels typical of Tibet. Statues of King Songtsem Gampo, Princess Wen Cheng and Princess Bhrikuti are on the second floor. On the top floor, there are four gilded bronze tile tops crafted in the emblematical Tang style.

The statue of Sakyamuni is a rare treasure. When Sakyamuni was alive, he disagreed with the idea of 'personal worship' and did not allow likenesses of himself to be created. Only three statues, designed by he himself, were permitted to be sculpted during his lifetime. The first is a likeness of him at age eight; the second shows him at age twelve when he was still a prince of India; and the third is of him as an adult. The statue kept in the Jokang Temple is the statue of Sakyamuni at age eight. It was presented to the king of the Tang Dynasty and brought to Tibet by Princess Wen Cheng.
 

Located in the old area of Lhasa City, Tibet, Barkhor Street is a very ancient round street surrounding the Jokhang Temple and the Tibetan people are always proud of it. As a symbol of Lhasa, this street is also a must-see place for the tourists.
It's said that in 647, the first Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo (617 - 650) built the Jokhang Temple. Due to its magnificence, it quickly attracted thousands of Buddhist pilgrims. As a result, a trodden path appeared. That is the origin of Barkhor Street. Today even still many pilgrims hold the prayer wheels to walk clockwise there from dawn to dark. Also you can see some pilgrims walking or progressing body-lengths by body-lengths along the street. Even some of them are teenagers or have experienced thousands of miles' walk to reach this sacred place. The way they express their piety could make you understand the holiness of religion.
To sum up, Barkhor Street is a place full of religious atmosphere and a world of exotic articles. If you have been attracted by it, you should go there. Believe your eyes, and you will get a lot of surprise there.
 

Situated at the foot of the Mountain Gambo Utse, 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) from the western suburb of Lhasa, the Drepung Monastery is known as the most important monastery of Gelugpa in Tibetan Buddhism. It is considered one of the 'Three Great Monasteries' (the other two are the Ganden Monastery and the Sera Monastery. Covering an area of 250,000 square meters (299,007 square yards), it held 7,700 monks in total and possessed 141 fazendas and 540 pastures in its heyday, and is the largest-scale monastery among the ones of the same kind. Seen from afar, its grand, white construction gives the monastery the appearance of a heap of rice. As such, it was given the name 'Drepung Monastery' which, in the Tibetan language, means Monastery of Collecting-Rice. The monastery was established in 1416 by Tsong Khapa's disciple Jamyang Qoigyi, who was versed in both Esoteric and Exotoric Buddhism and became the first Kampo there. With the support of plutocrats, it developed as the richest monastery of Gelugpa and became the mother temple of Dalai Lamas. In 1546, the third Dalai was welcomed as the first Living Buddha into the monastery. At the invitation of Mongolia's king, he went to Qinghai Province to preach. He was dignified with the title 'the third Dalai Lama' the first and second Dalai were entitled, too. It is the very place that the second, third, and the fourth Dalai Lama held the Sitting-in-Bed Ceremony, as well as the residence of the fifth Dalai before his nomination by the government of the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911).  The Drepung Monastery houses many cultural relics, which adorn the monastery and make it more superb. Statues of Manjushri Bodhisattva, and Sitatapatra found on the first storey of the Coqen Hall, rare sutras on the second storey and Jamyang Qoigyi's conch shell given by Tsong Khapa on the third one, all add to the wonderment of the monastery. Exquisite statues of Tsong Khapa, Kwan-yin Bodhisattva, Manjushri Bodhisattva, Amitayus, and Jamyang Qoigyi in other sutra halls, as well as flowery murals on walls also fully present the wisdom of the Tibetan people.

Norbu Lingka

There are many gardens in Lhasa which in Tibetan are called "lingka" In the past monks and lay officials used these gardens to avoid the heat of summer, and most were owned by monk officials, lay officials, noble families and the monasteries. The Norbu Lingka, the summer and autumn retreat for the Dalai Lama, is one such garden, hence the name "Dalai Summer Palace." Norbu Lingka means "treasure garden" in tibetan. Located about one kilometer west of the Potala Palace, it used to be covered by marshland. In the mid-18th century, the 7th Dalai Lama, who was suffering from leg problems, often went for a dip in the fountain.

The Qing Dynasty High Commissioner in Tibet ordered tents to be erected in the fountain area so that the 7th Dalai Lama could rest and recite sutras. This was the origin of the Norbu Lingka. In 1755, the 7th Dalai Lama had the Galsang Phodrang Palace built in the area. During the period of the 8th Dalai Lama, the Cogyi Phodrang Palace (Lake Center Palace) and areas for Buddhist teaching and recitation were also constructed. The Gyianse Phodrang Palace, Galsang Degyi Palace and Qimei Qoigyi Palace were built in the western part of the garden during the time of the 13th Dalai Lama, and the Daain Myingquelin (Eternally Unchanging Palace) was added at the time of the 14th Dalai Lama.
As a result of all these efforts, the Norbu Lingka is today a large garden containing palaces in various traditions, villas, pavilions, waterside pavilions, lawns dotted with flowers, fruit trees and gushing fountains. It is now a park and museum open to the general public, and celebrations are held there during festivals and holidays.
 

Yamdrok-sto Lake

Yamdrok Yumtso (or Yamdrok-tso), one of the three holiest lakes in Tibet, lies at Nhagartse, located about 100 kilometers (62 miles) to the southwest of Lhasa. According to legend, it was a fairy that descended to earth. Her husband followed suit and transformed into Mt. Kampala. Besides Mt. Kampala, Yamdrok Yumtso is also surrounded by Mt. Nyinchenkhasa, Mt. Chetungsu and Mt. Changsamlhamo. Befitting its mythical feminine origins, the turquoise blue lake has indescribable scenic beauty, prompting the Tibetans to compare it with the fairyland in heaven. The lake is also called Coral Lake of the Highlands due to its shape. The charming lake produces abundant aquatic life. On the surrounding expansive pasture, animals and birds flourish in huge numbers. There are dozens of islets in the lake, on which flocks of birds roost.

During the herding season, the local herdsmen will ferry their herds of sheep across to these islets since there aren't any predators on these islets, and leave them there until the onset of winter. The holy lake is also a pilgrimage site for Tibetans. Every summer, gangs of pilgrims trek there to pray and receive blessings. Pilgrims believe that its water can make the old young again, grant the middle-aged a longer life and make the children smarter. Being a sacred lake, the color of its water may be taken by the devout as having spiritual meaning. Tibetans will usually visit the lake before making important decisions. On one of the islets, stands a Nyinmapa monastery.

South of the lake, one finds the Sangding Monastery, which is famous as the residence of the only female high lama in Tibet.
 

Big Wild Goose Pagoda is a well-preserved ancient building and a holy place for Buddhists. This attraction can be divided into three parts: the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, the Da Ci'en Temple, and the North Square of Big Wild Goose Pagoda. it attracts numerous visitors for its fame in the Buddhist religion, its simple but appealing style of construction, and its new square in front of the temple.

The Banpo Museum is located in the eastern outskirt of Xi'an City. As the first museum at the prehistoric site, It was built at the base of the excavations of the Banpo site. The Banpo site is a typical Neolithic matriarchal community of the Yangshao Culture dating back about 6,000 years. Here a lot of relic exhibited to show how ancient people.

Xi'an City Wall initially built during the old Tang dynasty (618-907) and ZhuYuanzhang, the first emperor of Ming dynasty, rebuilt the wall, creating the modern Xi'an City Wall. The wall now stands 12 meters tall, 12-14 meters wide at the top and 15-18 meters thick at the bottom. It covers 13.7 kilometers in length with a deep moat surrounding it. It's the most complete city wall that has survived in China, as well as being one of the largest ancient military defensive systems in the world.

Forest of Stone Steles Museum

Once the site of the Temple of Confucius during the Northern Song dynasty (960-1127), the Forest of Stone Steles Museum is being included in UNESCO's list of world heritage site. With 900 years of history, this treasure house holds the world's largest collection of stone steles of different periods, from the Han Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty. Carved on each of these 3,000 steles are original calligraphies of China's most famous scholars.