Important Places & Sights in Tibet

The Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region was the chief residence of the Dalai Lama until the 14th Dalai Lama fled to India during the 1959 Tibetan uprising. It is now a museum and World Heritage Site.

The word Drepung can be literally translated as "rice pile", a name whose meaning becomes clear when you see the white-walled buildings scattered along the hill. Originally founded in 1416, the monastery in its heyday was home to 10,000 monks (around 1600).

Constructed in 647 during the Tang Dynasty, the Jokhang Temple was built as a memorial to the Princess Bhrikuti of Nepal and Princess Wencheng of the Tang Dynasty. As the oldest wooden complex of Tibet, the temple covers an area of over 25,100 square meters (6.2 acres).