Lhasa - Where A Thousand Mile Journey Ends And Begins

Episode 5

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Tibet is definitely not an “easy come, easy go” place.

A Tibetan Courtyard in Lhasa

There are several restrictions for foreign nationals to travel to Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR). First of all, there is absolutely no self-guided trips like an ordinary backpacking adventure in Europe. All foreign travelers must sign up for a packaged tour organized by one of the qualified tour agencies in the TAR. They must be accompanied by a tour guide all the time (the fact is, this is very loosely enforced). Secondly, foreign nationals must obtain something called Tibet Travel Permit. The permit can be issued only through booking an organized tour. Without the permit, foreign travelers can’t even board a train or flight to anywhere in Tibet. If found without permit, the traveler will face deportation or even detention.  No permit will be issued to those who have open sympathy for the Tibet Independence Movement and those whose profession is journalist of any kind. 

Chinese Flag Near The Potala Palace

When Cheryl, who also happened to be in the same tour group and I were exiting the train station, we were taken by a policeman, along with other foreign travelers to the police station nearby. Inside the station, our passports were scanned, and our documentations were scrutinized. A while later, we were allowed to go.

A Traditional Tibetan Window In A Traditional Tibetan House

On the way to the exit to meet our guide, I saw paramilitary forces patrolling the area with automatic rifles on their hands. I had long heard about the political instability inside the TAR and the Tibetan Plateau region as a whole. In 2008 there was even a massive riot in Lhasa where catastrophes occurred to the city and people of all backgrounds. Ever since then the security was tightened, and all tourism activities, both domestic and foreign, were strictly controlled by the government.  

An alley near the Bakhor Street Kora

We were greeted by a guide, who informed us that our own guide was not able to be there on that day. He welcomed us with tying a traditional Tibetan Khata on our necks. We also met Peter and Francis, a father and a son who were on a detour from their transcontinental railway journey from Asia to Europe. On our way to the hotel, the guide told us not to take any photos of the police or military and avoid talking politics in the public. When we arrived at our hotel, we were given the keys to our respective rooms. I was informed that my roommate arrived the day before. 

The Decoration In The Hotel Room

The hotel didn't have any elevators - so I had to climb up the stairs. Because of Lhasa's high elevation, my heart was pumping really fast while climbing the seemingly gentle stairs. By the time I reached the third floor, where my room was, I felt like that I would get an imminent heart attack.

The Entrance To The Hotel's Restaurant, Decorated In Traditional Tibetan Style

I opened the door, but there was no one there. So I left my luggage in the room and climb another floor (very bad experience, by the way) to reach the rooftop. The moment I unlocked the gate, sunshine poured in from the outside - no wonder many call Lhasa the Sun City! Once at the terrace, the Great Mosque of Lhasa was right in front of my eyes. Because I arrived on a Friday, I could hear the call for prayers from the minarets. Considering Lhasa was predominantly a Buddhist city, it was wonderful to see the city's Muslim minority would enjoy the peace to freely practice their faiths.

The Great Mosque of Lhasa

When I got behind the entrance, a building that I always knew, but had never seen before suddenly appeared. The Potala Palace reminded me of the term "shining city on a hill". The complex was indeed the highest point in the city of Lhasa, with its religious and historical significance much higher than the altitude itself. When I looked around I found out that almost all the buildings in the old city Lhasa were of the same height. I could imagine the reason being that no one wanted their own home to be higher than the Jokhang Temple, one of the holiest Buddhist temples in Tibet (I'll explain more later on) so that everyone would have the same grand view of the majestic Potala Palace from his / her own rooftop.

Potala Palace From The Roof Top Terrace

I went back to my room. When I just closed the door, somebody knocked. 

I opened the door, and that was the first time I met my roommate Aurelie. 

Aurelie was from France. She was someone who liked Rock Music as much as I do.  She just came back from doing a kora from the Potala Palace. Nonetheless, she still very graciously offered to show me around the city while she was still acclimatizing to Tibet's high elevation. 

Barkhor Street

Aurelie first showed me how to walk around Bakhor Street. Bakhor Street was a hexagon circuit built around the ever so sacred Jokhang Temple, which housed a 12 year old Buddha statue blessed by Buddha himself while he was alive back in the 5th century BCE. Thus the entire street had become a very busy pilgrimage route (kora) for hundreds of years. In Tibetan Buddhism, all pilgrimage koras must be done in clockwise direction, as it is the direction of how the eternal wheel of dharma spins. Because of Jokhang Temple’s importance and Tibet’s political instability, there were police and paramilitary forces presence throughout the Bakhor Street area.

When People Pass Through A Flag Pole, They Must Circle Around It Clockwise As Well

Our hotel was located right behind Bakhor Street. Yet most of the restaurants and attractions were located west of the Jokhang Temple. Because of this, we needed to enter Bakhor Street whenever we are going back to the hotel. That means two things:

1.    Every time we needed to return to the hotel from the Jokhang Temple, we had to do a huge detour because one could walk only clockwise in the Bakhor Street circle, although it would save us a lot of walks if we could travel counter-clockwise.

2.    Every time we needed to return to the hotel, we had to go through police and security checkpoints located around the exits of Bakhor Street.

A Flag Pole And The Jokhang Temple

In front of the entrance to the Jokhang Temple, a crowd of faithful Buddhist pilgrims were performing the traditional prostration, totally unware of the curious passer-bys who came to the same temple but didn’t quite understand or appreciate the importance of faith. Occasionally people could hear the sound of the bell that came out from the inside of the temple. 

The Jokhang Temple

After crossing through a commercial area, the Potala Palace was right in front of our eyes. To be honest, I was blown away by the scale of the building, considering that the main structure of the complex was built back in the 7th century! Aurelie told me that there was another kora circling the Potala Palace, where she saw a lot of pilgrims doing the prostration just like the scene outside of the Jokhang Temple. I thought at the time that if I had the time, I would definitely go there and check it out.

The Potala Palace

Right across the street, a monument commemorating the Chinese incorporation of Tibet stood tall in the middle of the Potala Palace square. To enter the square, one must go through the security check points located at all entrances and exits as well. I definitely thought of the Tian’anmen Square in Beijing upon seeing the Potala Palace square, imagining only the political controversies both places had been involved in the past. On two sides of the monument, giant tablets depicting the pictures of the Chinese leaders were visible from everywhere in the square. However, it seemed that both local Tibetans and Chinese tourists were totally unaware of these enormous propaganda tools. 

A Giant Propaganda Tablet

After exiting the square in the west, Aurelie and I reached the Medicine Hill. Legends said that it was the place where Tibetan Medicine was first conceived. Nowadays, many came to the hill simply for a breathtaking view of the Potala Palace, including Aurelie and myself. 

Potala Palace From Medicine Hill

On our way back to the hotel, we dropped by the local post office to purchase some post cards. In our upcoming journey we would be making a quick detour to the Mt. Everest Base Camp. My uncle, who used to work in that area told me that there was a post office in a tent at the Mt Everest Base Camp. I thought that would be great if I could mail out some post cards from there. 

The Potala Palace

Once we got back to the hotel, we met everybody else from our tour group. We all went out for dinner at a vegetarian restaurant right beside the Jokhang Temple. After dinner, most of my team mates expressed their interests to visit the Potala Palace Square (Aurelie had already been there twice on that same day, so she opted out).  There was a music fountain show in the evening at the square, but the majority of us felt very exhausted due to the fact that we were still acclimatizing to the higher altitude. As a result, we didn’t spend very long time at the square. In the evening breeze of the high plateau, we retreated to the hotel.

A Tibetan Neighborhood Near Bakhor Street

After another round of painful stair climbing, I returned to the hotel room. Aurelie was already asleep. However, I felt like there was something else I needed to do before going to sleep. So I sneaked out of the room, risked another possible heart attack, and made it to the roof top terrace.  In the darkness, the Potala Palace shone like a beacon that illuminated the city of Lhasa. I could imagine how the grand building also shone in people's heart and illuminated people's minds. Whether that light is still there or not today, I am afraid that I cannot tell.

Potala Palace From The Hotel's Rooftop Terrace At Night

 With full satisfaction, I returned back to my hotel room.