Points of interest

Tashilhunpo Monastery

Tashilhunpo is one of the few monasteries in Tibet that weathered the stormy seas of the Cultural Revolution relatively unscathed. It is a real pleasure to explore the busy cobbled lanes twisting around the ancient buildings - the monastery is essentially a walled town in its own right.

The monastery's standing rocketed when the fifth Dalai Lama declared his teacher - then abbot of Tashilhunpo - to be a manifestation of Öpagme (Amitabha; a deification of the Buddha's faculty of perfected cognition and perception). Thus Tashilhunpo became the seat of an important lineage: the Panchen Lamas. Panchen means 'great scholar' and the title was traditionally bestowed on abbots of Tashilhunpo.

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Drak Yerpa

For those with a particular interest in Tibetan Buddhism, Drak Yerpa hermitage is one of the holiest cave retreats in Ü region. Many ascetics have sojourned here and contributed to the area's great sanctity. The site is deeply peaceful and has stunning views. The caves are accessed via the village of Yerpa, 30km (18mi) northeast of Lhasa on a good road.

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Jokhang Temple

Also known in Tibetan as the Tsuglhakhang, the Jokhang is the most revered religious structure in Tibet. Although little remains of its 7th-century origins - most of its sculptures postdate the Cultural Revolution - it is thick with the smell of yak butter and the murmur of mantras, and bustles with awed pilgrims. An unrivalled Tibetan experience.

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Attractions

Mt Everest

The Tibetan approach to Mt Everest provides far better vistas of the world's highest peak than those on the Nepal side. Some 27,000 sq km (10,422 sq mi) around Everest's Tibetan face have been designated as the Qomolangma Nature Preserve.

For foreign travellers, the Everest Base Camp has become the most popular trekking destination in Tibet, but this does not mean that the region is exactly swarming with hikers. The two access points are Shegar and Tingri, along the Friendship Highway to Nepal, but be warned that neither trek is an easy three- or four-day stroll. Take your time getting acclimatised and be prepared for a strenuous climb. If it all sounds too much, 4WD vehicles can lurch all the way to Base Camp along the Shegar track.

Lhasa

Lhasa is a city of wonders. The Potala, a vast white and ochre fortress, dominates the Lhasa skyline. Once the seat of Tibetan government and the location of the tombs of previous Dalai Lamas, the Potala serves as a symbolic focus for Tibetan aspirations of self-government.

The Jokhang temple, 2km (1.2mi) to the east, is the spiritual heart of the city. The medieval push and shove of crowds, the street performers, the stalls hawking everything from prayer flags to jewel-encrusted yak skulls, and the devout tapping their foreheads to the ground at every step is an exotic brew that few newcomers can resist.