Situated in a wide, mountain-fringed valley on the north bank of the Kyichu River, LHASA (Ground of the Gods), at 3700m, is a sprawling, rapidly expanding, modern China city with a population of around 200,000. An important settlement for well over a thousand years, it was originally called Rasa, but was renamed by King Songtsen Gampo in the seventh century when he moved his capital here from the Yarlung Valley. Following the collapse of the Yarlung dynasty two centuries later, power dispersed among local chieftains and the city lost its pre-eminence. It was not until the seventeenth century, with the installation of the Fifth Dalai Lama as ruler by the Mongolian emperor, Gushri Khan, that Lhasa once again became the seat of government. It continues now as the capital of the TAR and while glorious sites from earlier times are spread throughout the area, it is this third period of growth, following the Chinese invasion, that has given the city its most obvious features - wide boulevards and concrete-and-glass blocks. The Chinese population of Lhasa is highly active economically, with over seven hundred Chinese businesses in Tromzikhang market compared to just three hundred Tibetan.

There are plenty of sights in and around the city to keep most visitors occupied for at least a week; the Potala , Jokhang and Barkhor district are unmissable, and at least one trip to an outlying monastery is a must. It's also worth taking time to see some of the smaller, less showy temples and simply to absorb the atmosphere of the "Forbidden City" which large numbers of explorers died in their vain efforts to reach around a hundred years ago.

Offering tourists better facilities , with more choice of accommodation, restaurants and shopping than anywhere else in Tibet, Lhasa is the best place to arrange trips to other parts of the region. Whatever the comforts of Lhasa and the complexities of travelling outside, remember that the city is just one face of Tibet and 88 percent of the population live in the countryside.