Lhasa ("Place of the gods") is the capital of the Tibetan Autonomous Region in the People's Republic of China. Located at an altitude of 3600m on the northern rim of the Himalayas, it has a population of about 220,000 inhabitants (2000). For centuries Lhasa was the centre of Tibetan Buddhism and was inhabited mainly by monks. The town is dominated by the Potala Palace (18th century), a UNESCO World Heritage Site, one of the focal points of the growing Tibetan tourism. Despite its altitude, it snows only once or twice a year in Lhasa, and due to the perpetual bright sunshine, daytime temperatures are not harsh even in the coldest winters. With more than 3000 hours of sunshine annually, Lhasa is renowned as "the City of Sunshine".

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