Lhasa, the
capital of China's Tibet
Autonomous Region, has a
history of more than 1,300
years. It is the political,
economic, cultural and
transport center of the
region. Lhasa covers an area
of close to 30,000 square
km. It has a downtown of 544
square km and a population
of 400,000; 140,000 of its
people live in the downtown
area. Lhasa is home to the
Tibetan, Han, and Hui
peoples, as well as many
other ethnic groups, but the
Tibetan ethnic group makes
up 87 percent of the total
population.
Lhasa has beautiful scenery.
The Lhasa River, known as
the "merry blue waves," runs
through the snow-covered
peaks and gullies of the
Nyainqentanglha Mountains,
extending 315 km. The river
empties into the Yarlung
Zangbo River at Quxu,
forming a scenic wonder that
features blue and white
water waves.
The ancient city of Lhasa
stands by the Lhasa River.
Inside the city towers the
Potala Palace. The city
features a combination of
traditional and modern
things, including prayer
wheels and computers.
Located at the bottom of a
small basin surrounded by
mountains, Lhasa has an
elevation of 3,650 meters
and sits at 91'06E and
29'36N, the center of the
Tibet Plateau. Blessed with
flat land and mild weather,
Lhasa is free of frigid
winters and unbearably hot
summers, having an annual
average daily temperature of
8 degrees C (43 degrees F).
It enjoys 3,000 hours of
sunlight annually, much more
than all other cities in
this regard, giving the city
its title of "sunlit city."
Lhasa enjoys an annual
precipitation of 500 mm. It
rains mainly in July, August
and September. The rainy
seasons in the summer and
fall are the best seasons of
the year, when it rains
mostly at night, and is
sunny in the daytime. |
