Lhasa, the heart and soul of Tibet, for centuries the abode of the Dalai Lamas and destination of devout pilgrimage, is still a city of wonders, despite the large-scale encroachments of Chinese influence.

As you enter the Kyi-chu Valley, either on the long haul from Golmud or from Gongkar airport, your first hint that Lhasa is close at hand is the sight of the Potala, a vast white and ochre fortress soaring over one of the world's highest cities. It is a sight that has heralded the marvels of the Holy City to travellers for close to four centuries. While the Potala dominates the Lhasa skyline, it is the Jokhang, some 2km to the east of the Potala, which is the spiritual heart of the city. A curious mix of sombre darkness, wafting incense and prostrating pilgrims, the Jo­khang is the most sacred and active of Tibet's temples.

However, the Potala and the Jokhang, though prominent, are just two of the sights that Lhasa has to offer. Close to the Jokhang are a number of smaller active temples that are little visited by foreign travellers. The alleys running off the Barkhor circuit are cluttered with pool tables, market stalls and milling crowds from all over Tibet. The Norbulingka, summer palace of the Dalai Lamas, is a short distance away in the west­ern part of town; and in Lhasa's low-lying surrounding hills, are the important Gelugpa monasteries of Sera and Drepung.

The Potala
The Potala is Lhasa's cardinal landmark and one of the wonders of Eastern architecture. It looks best from a distance and it can be viewed and photographed from various places around town - notably from the top of Chagpo Ri.

The Potala is a structure of massive pro­portions, an awe-inspiring place to explore. Your first sight of the Potala will be a magical moment that you will remem­ber for a long time. It's hard to take your eyes off the place.

Pilgrims get free access to the Potala on Monday, Wednesday and Friday so crowds for many of the chapels are bigger then, but the presence of pilgrims adds inter­est to a visit. It's worth getting there early as there's a lot to see and rooms tend to close briefly around lunch-time. There are extra charges for access to the roof and the exhibition room.

Entrance to the Potala is via Shol village, nestled at the southern foot of Marpo Ri. This was once Lhasa's red-light district as well as housing a prison, a printing press and some ancillary government buildings. Today it is an undistinguished cluster of Tibetan-style buildings and gift shops. Two steep access ramps snake up the southern side of the hill from Shol and will almost certainly leave you puffing. Visitors who arrive by car or bus (taxis are not allowed) can drive up the back road to the top of the Potala via the west gate and then ascend floor by floor.

The eastern entrance to the Potala takes you into Deyang Shar, the external court­yard of the White Palace, where there is a small gift shop. From here a triple flight of steps leads up into the White Palace and the former living quarters of the Dalai Lamas. At the top of the triple stairs look out for the golden handprints of the 13th Dalai Lama on the wall to the left. From there, you con­tinue up to the roof of the Red Palace and then make a gradual journey downwards into the labyrinthine bowels of the Potala, before exiting from the northern side. Photography of the interior of the Potala is forbidden and all rooms are wired with motion sensors and video cameras.

The Jokhang
The Jokhang, also known in Tibetan as the Tsug-Ihakhang, is the most revered religious structure in Tibet. Although little remains of its 7th-century origins and most of the sculptures that adorn its interior postdate the Cultural Revolution, the Jokhang, bustling with worshippers and redolent with mystery, is an unrivalled Tibetan experience.

After you've explored the interior of the Jokhang, the best part is arguably spending some time on the roof, with its stunning views. Monks often debate up here in the late afternoon. The orange building on the north side holds the private quarters of the Dalai Lama.

It's worth finishing off a visit with a walk around the Nangkhor kora (pilgrimage circuit), which encircles the Jokhang's inner sanctum. If you're not utterly exhausted you could have a brief look at the Drolma Chapel, featuring Drolma (Tara) flanked by her green and white man­ifestations and others of her 21 manifestations. Pilgrims sometimes pop into the Guru Rinpoche Chapel, a series of three interconnected shrines stuffed with images of Guru Rinpoche.

Barkhor Bazaar
For your first visit to the Barkhor area, enter from Barkhor Square (at the eastern end of Yuthok Lam), a large plaza that was cleared in 1985 and renovated in 2000. Jokhang Temple is at the heart of Barkhor Bazaar. Encircling it is the Barkhor, the holiest of Lhasa's devotional circumambulation circuits. It is here that most visitors first fall in love with Tibet. The me­dieval push and shove of crowds from an­other time and place, the street performers, the stalls hawking everything from prayer flags to jewel-encrusted yak skulls, and the devout tapping their foreheads to the ground at every step is an exotic brew that few newcomers can resist.

Close to the entrance to the Jokhang is a constant stream of Tibetans following the Barkhor circumambulation route in a clockwise direction. Look for the two pot-bellied stone sangkang (incense burners) in front the Jokhang. There are four altogether, comprising the four extremities of the Barkhor circuit; the other two are positioned at the rear of the Jokhang. Behind the first two sangkang are two enclosures. The northern stele is inscribed with the terms of the Sino-Tibetan treaty of 822. The inscription guar­antees mutual respect of the borders of the two nations - an irony seemingly lost on the Chinese authorities. The southern one harbor the stump of an ancient willow tree, known as the hair of the Jowo, allegedly planted by Songtsen Gampo's Chinese wife Princess Wencheng, and a stele erected in 1793 commemorating smallpox victims.

The Norbulingka
The Norbulingka (Mirig Lam), the summer palace of the Dalai Lamas, is about 10 minutes' walk south of the Lhasa Hotel in the western part of town. It ranks well behind the other points of inter­est in and around Lhasa, such as the Jokhang and the Potala. The gardens are poorly tended and the palaces themselves are something of an anticlimax, especially as most rooms are closed to the public.

This said, the Norbulingka is still worth a visit, and the park is a great place to be at festival times and public holidays. During the seventh lunar month of every year the Norbulingka is crowded with picnickers for the Shotun festival. Traditional Tibetan opera performances are also held at this time.