Lhasa, sometimes spelled Llasa, is the traditional capital of Tibet and the capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China. It is also the traditional seat of the Dalai Lama.
Lhasa literally means "place of the gods", although ancient Tibetan documents and inscriptions demonstrate that the place was first called Rasa, which means "courtyard place" or "goat place". Its altitude is about 3,650 m (12,000 ft), making it one of the highest cities in the world.

Tourism, attractions

According to the region's authorities, 1.1 million visitors visited Tibet in 2004. Chinese authorities plan an ambitious growth of tourism in the region to 10 million visitors by 2020; these visitors are expected to be mostly ethnic Chinese. Proponents of greater Tibetan autonomy are concerned that the increase in tourism will lead to an erosion of the indigenous culture of Tibet; in particular, these proponents have stated that renovation around historic sites, such as the Potala Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, are creating a jarring "Disney-like" degradation of the sacred site.
Journalists report that the opening of the railway in July 2006 has brought with it an increasing demand for property which has pushed prices up.
Three trains arrive in and depart from Lhasa railway station each day. Train numbered T27 takes 47 hours, 28 minutes from Beijing west, arrives in Lhasa at 20:58 every day. The ticket costs 389 yuan for hard seat, or 813 yuan for a lower hard sleeper, 1262 yuan for a lower soft sleeper. T28 from Lhasa to Beijing west departs at 08:00 and arrives in Beijing at 08:00 on the third day, taking 48 hours. There are also trains from Chengdu, Chongqing, Lanzhou and Xining. Initially the large altitude difference has caused problems on this route, giving passengers altitude sickness. To counter this, extra oxygen is pumped in through the ventilation system, and personal oxygen masks are available.