The magnificent Potala Palace, recognized the world over as symbolizing both Lhasa and Tibet.

Shanghai Daily News

Worries about altitude sickness, the sun's ultra-violet rays and its remoteness should not deter anyone from seeing the wonders of the architecture and mountain landscapes of Tibet, writes Wang Yanlin.

To people all over the world, Tibet is a land of mystery and for this there are lots of reasons - a     likely horrible reaction to altitude, strong solar radiation and the fact that it's an awfully long way away.

I went there with all the fears but to my delight, I felt comfortable. And I now know that if I had chosen not to go I would have regretted it for the rest of my life.

It took me nearly eight hours to fly from Shanghai to Lhasa with a transfer in Chengdu, Sichuan Province. Lhasa, 3,650 meters above sea level, is the capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region.

When I walked out of the airport, my first impression was that Lhasa's sky is so low and so blue. With a few white clouds dotted here and there, it had such a serene beauty it made me forget that the air is much thinner.

Summer temperatures in most of Tibet range from 10 to 20 degrees Celsius. Usually, it rains after 9pm when the sky grows dark. But in the daytime, the sky is always clear with the sun hanging high which gives rise to the name "sunlit places."

I receive a piece of hada - a silk cloth given as a greeting gift among the Tibetan nationality - immediately on my arrival. It carries the good wishes of the Tibetan people and you should receive it with both hands while saying, "Zhaxidele" meaning "Thanks" in the Tibetan Language.

Lhasa is the holy city for Buddhists. The well-known Jokhang Monastery in downtown Lhasa was the first scenic spot I visited. Built in 700 AD, the monastery is a symbol of unity between the Tibetan and Han peoples. It enshrines a statue of Sakyamuni which Princess Wencheng of the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) brought to Lhasa when she married the Tibetan King Songtsan Gambo.

Each day thousands of worshipers come to this spiritual center to pay homage. The stones in front of the Jokhang Monastery have been rubbed smooth by the prostration of worshipers over the centuries.

The Potala Palace is probably Tibet's most well-known architecture to the outside world. But it is really different when you stand in front of it from view it in a photograph. It is much more magnificent, solemn and dignified.

The palace, also built by Songtsan Gambo more than 1,300 years ago, has survived damages by lightning in 800 AD and several wars in the next century. Through repeated renovation and expansion, it now extends 360 meters from east to west and rises 13 stories high.

The Potala Palace is divided into White and Red Palaces, both built along the slope of the Red Hill. Generations of Lamaist leaders have lived in the White Palace while the Red Palace is the place where they slumber after death.

For me, the most impressive scenery in Tibet was neither the Jokhang Monastery nor the Potala Palace, although they represent the highest achievement and culture of Tibetan people. Instead I love the natural landscape most, especially the views on the way from Lhasa to Xigaze, the second-largest city in Tibet.

As our bus went along the road to Xigaze, I felt I could hear the call of the wild. Surrounded by an unbroken chain of mountains in bold outline, I forgot all the trivial troubles of my city life.

These mountains were different from those in Guilin in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region which are famous for their subtleness. The mountains of Tibet do not show off their power - they are plain, some without a trace of green, some engraved with deep holes that seemed to be the result of lightning strikes but all of them are huge and wild. Their breathtaking beauty comes from their simple plainness.

Water in Tibet is also special. The color of the Lhasa River was not blue but a crystal green. Our guide said that because Tibet contains many mineral deposits - which is why Tibet is called "China's western treasure trove" - the color of the water changes from blue to green depending on its mineral content.

When our bus stopped on the road, I walked along the slope of the mountain with the river flowing beside me and I felt like a free bird embraced by Mother Nature.

I saw many ordinary family houses, which are in typical Tibetan style of two stories with windows and doors framed in dark lines - said to be able to prevent evil power from entering a house.

On every roof was a pole with several colorful flags. It is the Tibetan nationality's special way to pray for happiness. A blue flag represents the sky, a red flag for fire, a yellow flag for the land, a white flag for clouds and a green flag for life. Every flag has printed on it pieces of scripture from Tibetan Buddhism. When the wind blows, the flags flutter symbolizing people chanting the scriptures all the time.

I was lucky to get the chance to visit a Tibetan family. The hostess was a very kind middle-aged woman who offered us qingke (barley) wine and Tibetan butter tea, both typical in Tibet. Although we could only communicate through body language, her hospitality was beyond words.

Tibetan women are beautiful. They are good at adorning themselves with various precious stones in red, yellow, green and blue. Visitors to Tibet can find similar necklaces and earrings with ethnic feature on Barkor Street in Lhasa so they can take home with them some local Tibetan fashions.

Tibetans love singing and dancing. It is said of Tibetans that as long as they can speak, they can sing and as long as they can walk, they can dance. In various festivals in Tibet such as Shoton Festival, people dress themselves up in colorful decorations and celebrate with whole-hearted singing and dancing.

I also traveled to Nyingchi and Yangbajing, where I saw the world's biggest cypress tree, swam in a hot spring, sat on the grassland among cows and goats and gasped with admiration at the majesty of the snow-capped peaks around us.

The nine-day trip to Tibet was too short to discover enough about this sacred region. I am told that more remote areas such as Ngari and Everest are more beautiful. Given the chance, I will definitely go to Tibet again.

Travel Tips

￥ Don't do any strenuous activity on your first day in Tibet.

￥ Bring a warm jacket with you, which will be useful when climbing mountains.