Lhasa

Lhasa is the chief city of Tibet, at an altitude of about 3,650 metres in the valley of the Kyi River. Songtsen Gampo made it the capital of the Tibetan Empire in the 7th century, and the Jokhang temple founded in his time became the holiest shrine of Tibetan Buddhism. From 1642 it was the seat of the Dalai Lamas' government, whose Potala Palace overlooks the city, and since 1951 it has been under Chinese rule.