Lhasa Travel Tips

 Code & Numbers
Area Code 0891             Zip Code 850000

Emergency Number:  Fire: 119; Police: 110; Ambulance: 120

Useful Number: Airport Inquiry, +86 0891 6833446

 Festivals
Shoton Festival: every late June or early July of the Tibetan calendar
Tibet New Year: ten days from Janunary 1st to 10th of the Tibetan calendar
Saka Dawa Festival: April. 15th of the Tibetan calendar

 What to Buy
The unique exquisite arts and crafts here include Tibetan carpets, Tibetan knives, costumes, jewelries, Thangkas, masks, which can all be bought as souvenirs. Besides, Tibetan medicines are also famous. Some rare medical plants here, such as Ganoderma Lucidum, snow lotus, cordyceps, antelope horns and Tibetan safflowers, can be taken back. Barkhor Street  is the best place to buy these goods. They are also obtainable in some other malls. Remember that Tibetan knives are prohibited in baggage in the plane, but they can be mailed. The General Post Office of Lhasa is located in the Middle Beijing Road north of the pedestrian street.

 What to Eat
Having a taste of authentic Tibetan food must be the first choice of visitors. The delicious local foods include Yak Butter Tea, chang, Tsamba, beef, mutton, yogurt, sweet tea, Tibetan steamed and stuffed buns. To enjoy Tibetan food, you can go to Dunya Restaurant near Potala Palace , Makye Ame Tibetan Restaurant at the southeast of Barkhor Street and Snowland Restaurant on the Tibetan Traditional Hospital Road. And the Deji Road is a special street of varied tasty foods, including Sichuan Cuisine and many other Chinese foods. You can also get Western food, Indian food and Nepalese food in Lhasa. Among places recommended are the western restaurant of Namaste Restaurant, BanakShol Hotel, and the Nepal dishes at Snowland Restaurant.

 Tibetan Traditional Hospital
Located at Yuthok Lu, west of Jokhang Temple; Tibetan traditional hospital (called Mentsekhang in Tibetan) was originally built in 1916 as the center of research for Tibetan medicine as well as for calendar calculation. After a large expansion in 1980, it now occupies an area of more than 40,000 square meters (about 10 acres) and has a staff of 450. Tibetan traditional hospital is the largest one of its kind in Tibet.

The hospital focuses on the research of Tibetan traditional medicine as well as the calendar calculation for many years. Tibetan doctors believe that human bodies have close relationship to weather. Beautiful thangkas hanging on the wall are used to depict the system of Tibetan medicine while training doctors-to-be. The statues of the Medicine Buddha also can be seen by visitors. Many unique vessels as well as herbs and ores which are used as materials of traditional medicine are also on exhibition. In the hospital, visitors can try to understand the mysticism of Tibetan traditional medicine.

 Foreign Consulates