Lhasa, the "place of the gods," sits at 3,650 meters in a river valley ringed by bare mountains — the "Sunlight City" of relentless blue skies. It is the spiritual capital of Tibet: the Potala Palace over the city, the Jokhang temple at the center of the pilgrim world, and the Barkhor circuit around it where prostrating pilgrims and spinning wheels have set the rhythm for thirteen centuries. It is also a modern Chinese city — bring the altitude in gently and give the first day to tea houses rather than stairs.
