If Tibet is the "roof of the world," then its capital, Lhasa , is certainly the city of the sun. Standing on a plain over 13,000 feet above sea level, surrounded by towering mountains, Lhasa is a town bathed in sunlight.
Tibet has suffered fluctuating fortunes over the centuries. Historical records reveal little about the region before the seventh century, when King Songzan Ganbu (617 -650 A .D.) unified the area and introduced the Sanskrit alphabet. During the centuries that followed, Buddhism took root in Tibet , introduced from India into China by pilgrims traveling the " Silk Road " far to the north.
Buddhism was influenced by the local religion, called Bon, and developed into a form called Lamaism. By the 10th century, the religious movement began to assert political leadership as well. In 1573, a r eincarnation of Zongkaba, the founder of the "yellow hat" sect devoted to religious reform, became the first Dalai Lama. |
