It is the referred real Shangri-la, the forbidden land, the roof of the world and the holy land of your innermost desire. Snow mountains and grasslands, scattered herds of yak and nomads on the plateau, spectacular monasteries and unsophisticated smiles, tranquil lake and transparent blue sky, all can be seen on this magic land. Tibet is a province of natural wonder, a treasury of cultural relics and a destination of attractive adventure.

Located on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau at the southwest frontier of China, Tibet covers an area of 1.2 million sq km which is 4,000 meters above sea level at an average and has over 50 peaks more than 7,000 meters. So it known as the 'the roof of the world' or 'the third pole on the globe'. Geographically, Tibet can be divided into three parts: the east, south and north. The eastern part is virgin forest region, the northern part is open grassland, and the southern part is the one for agriculture. And administratively, Tibet is divided into one municipality and six prefectures, with Lhasa its municipality and Shigatse, Ngari, Shannan, Chamdo, Nagqu as well as Nyingchi. The major cities and towns such as Lhasa, Shigatse, Gyantse and Tsedang located in the central and southern area.

Tibet's population is about 2.3 million, it is a vast area but sparsely populated. About 90% of the people live on farming and husbandry who live in the valleys of Tsangpo River and its major tributaries Kyichu and Nuuang-chu. Nomads have no fixed abodes, they keep roaming along the rich pasture with all their belongings-tents and livestock. The remaining population lives in cities and towns earning their living mainly on business and handicraft, and others are factory workers and government officials. There are more than ten ethnic groups in Tibet, including Tibetan, Mongolian, Nu, Drung, Moinba, Lhoba, Hui, Naxi, Deng and Sherpa. Among them, Tibetans are the dominant inhabitants of Tibet, accounting for 92.2 % of the local population. The Tibetan ethnic group of China is famed for diligence, bravery and long history. They have their own language and written script. Most of them are Buddhist. Their staple diet is barley flour, and their favorites are butter tea, milk tea, barley wine, beef and mutton.

Tibet is the birthplace of the Tibetan people. The earliest human activities were found in the late Old Stone Age. In the 7th century, King Songtsen Gampo united Tibet and established the Turpan Regime. The relationship between the Tibetans and the Hans were tightened through marriages. In the mid-13th century, Tibet became an administrative region of the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). In the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the central government administrated Tibet by granting titles to the administrative and religious heads. In Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) rulers conferred titles upon each reincarnation of the Dalai Lama, and the Panchen Erdeni, the two living Buddha in Tibet.

Lhasa, whose name means 'the Land of Gods' in Tibetan is the capital of Tibet Autonomous Region. Due to its sufficient sunshine annually, it is also famed as 'the Sunshine City'. It is the center of Tibet's political, economic, cultural and religious activities.

Lhasa is a ancient city with its time-honored 1,300 years' history. It was called 'Luosha' or 'Luoxie' which mean 'dert-delivering-by-sheep' in the ancient times. There is a story for the name. It is said that Lhasa once was an area of low-lying marsh. In order to fill in the earth, Princess Wencheng from Tang Court used sheep to deliver dirt after her arrived at the place. Lhasa became the city's name in 9 century. As the political, economic, cultural and religious developments of Turpan Region, Potala Palace, Jakhang Monastery and so on were built one by one, which formed Lhasa's old downtown.

All pervaded sacred religious atmosphere mixed with leisure, happiness and the smell of sunshine, Lhasa has been the destination of travel the beginning of lives for many people.

Location: Located at the bottom of a small basin surrounded by mountains and stands by Lhasa River, Lhasa has an elevation of 3,650 meters and sits at 91'06E and 29'36N, the central Tibet Plateau.

Area: Lhasa has an area of 30,000 sq km. Its downtown area covers 544 sq km.

Population: Lhasa has a population of more than 0.4 million of different ethnic groups such as Tibetan, Hui, Han. And 14 thousand people live in the downtown city.