Lhasa
If you're in the mood for a glitzy Tibetan night out, head to this impressive Tibetan nangma place by 9pm, invest in a tableful of beers and wait for the song-and-dance stage show to kick in around 10.30pm. On weekends the two levels can seat 3000 Tibetans, who keep the modern and traditional Tibetan songs and dancing going until dawn.
It's opposite the Gakyiling Hotel. Go with your guide if you are apprehensive.
1.52 MILES
The magnificent Potala Palace, once the seat of the Tibetan government and the winter residence of the Dalai Lamas, is Lhasa's cardinal landmark. Your…
0.8 MILES
The 1300-year-old Jokhang Temple is the spiritual heart of Tibet: the continuous waves of awestruck pilgrims prostrating themselves outside are a…
5.83 MILES
The main assembly hall, or Tsogchen, is the principal structure in the Drepung complex and is the one chapel you must not miss. The hall is reached…
2.7 MILES
This is the largest of Sera’s colleges, generally accessed from a western side entrance. It has a breathtaking main hall, hung with thangkas and lit by…
21.17 MILES
The red, fortress-like structure of Tsongkhapa’s mausoleum is probably the most impressive of the reconstructed buildings at Ganden. It’s above a…
2.65 MILES
The main assembly hall (Tsogchen) is the largest of Sera’s buildings and dates to 1710. The central hall is particularly impressive and is noted for its…
21.21 MILES
The recently renovated tsogchen (assembly hall) has statues of the 16 arhats (literally ‘worthy ones’) and two huge statues of Tsongkhapa (only visible…
5.73 MILES
If you’re here in the afternoon, save some time to watch the monk debating (lots of shouting, hand slapping and gesticulation) between 2.30pm and 4pm in…
0.54 MILES
The wood-block printing press in the middle of this traditional housing compound doesn’t welcome visitors, so head instead to the atmospheric chapel in…
0.57 MILES
Gyüme was founded in the mid-15th century as one of Tibet’s foremost Tantric training colleges, second only in Lhasa to the monasteries of Sera and…
0.65 MILES
Just outside the Ramoche Temple, a doorway to the right by a collection of yak-butter and juniper-incense stalls leads to one of Lhasa's hidden gems, the…
0.68 MILES
The main image at this temple is the fabulously ornate Jowo Mikyöba (Akshobhya) statue, which represents Sakyamuni at the age of eight. The statue is in…
0.7 MILES
A recent addition to the northeast side of the Barkhor Circuit is the Perdu Ambam Yamen, a politicised museum firmly aimed at local Chinese consumption …
0.72 MILES
This mosque in the Muslim district serves as the spiritual focal point of Lhasa's several thousand Muslims, especially on Fridays. It's closed to non…
0.73 MILES
On the northern section of the Barkhor Circuit is a small building on the right, set off from the main path. This is the Mani Lhakhang, a chapel that…
0.75 MILES
On the northern Barkhor Circuit, 10m down a side alley, is the entrance to the Jampa Lhakhang, on the right. The ground floor has a huge two-storey statue…