Chengguan District 城关区

Setting and landscape

The Lhasa River, a tributary of the Yarlung Tsangpo (雅鲁藏布江), flows east to west through the district; the Nyenchen Tanglha range (念青唐古拉山脉) lies to the north and the Gangdise range (冈底斯山脉) to the south. The district government describes a sunny, semi-arid highland climate with more than 3,000 hours of sunshine a year, which has earned the district the name "日光城" ("sunlight city"). About 500 mm of rain falls a year, mostly between July and September and mostly at night. The Doide (夺底) valley, once eroded by wind and sand, has been replanted with Tibetan willow and sea buckthorn.

History

The district government dates the core of the city to the 630s, when Songtsen Gampo (松赞干布) moved his capital from the Yarlung valley to Rasa (逻些), building a palace on the Red Hill (红山) and the Jokhang and Ramoche (小昭寺) temples around it. The circuit walked around the Jokhang grew into the Barkhor. In 1727 the Qing set up the office of the imperial residents, the Ambans (驻藏大臣), north of the Barkhor. The city was divided into four urban districts in 1959, and these merged on 23 April 1961 to form Chengguan District.

What to see

The Potala Palace stands on Marpo Ri, the Red Hill, at about 3,700 m. The Fifth Dalai Lama began the present building in 1645, and it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1994; the listed site now also covers the Jokhang and Norbulingka (罗布林卡), the Dalai Lama's former summer palace. The Jokhang, which the district government says was built by Songtsen Gampo and has more than 1,300 years of history, gave the city its name: the temple was first called Rasa (惹萨), and the name passed to the city. Pilgrims walk three circuits around it: the Nangkor (囊廓) around the inner hall, the Barkhor around its outer walls, and the Lingkor (林廓), a wide loop taking in the Potala, Chakpori (药王山) and Ramoche. Sera Monastery (色拉寺), Drepung Monastery (哲蚌寺) and Tsamkhung (仓姑寺) are also in the district.

Food and local products

Highland barley (青稞) is the district's traditional main crop, grown alongside wheat, rapeseed and broad beans.

Highlights

• Potala Palace 布达拉宫: Begun by the Fifth Dalai Lama in 1645 on Marpo Ri; on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1994.
• Jokhang 大昭寺: Temple built by Songtsen Gampo whose first name, Rasa, became the city's name.
• Barkhor 八廓街: Pilgrim circuit around the Jokhang's outer walls, the heart of the old city.
• Norbulingka 罗布林卡: Former summer palace of the Dalai Lama, now covered by the Potala World Heritage listing.
• Sera Monastery 色拉寺: Monastery listed among the district's sights.