Winter Trip to Tibet: From Sweet Tea on Barkhor Street in Lhasa to the Experience at Over 5,000 Meters at the Foot of Mount Everest

When the first ray of sunlight hits the golden roof of the Potala Palace, its white walls and red facades stand silently in the morning light. Following the surging crowd at the foot of Marpo Ri Hill, I turn the prayer wheel as I walk, turning the years. I am right here, waiting for you.

- Memories of those days in Tibet -

▲ A short video about the trip to Tibet ▲

"Tibet on Earth, a Land of Dreams"

Tibet is not a destination; it is the reason to set out.

I can't help but ask, why do we always want to go to Tibet? Perhaps because it is the roof of the world, the kingdom of snow mountains. It has a kind of primeval beauty, as if the world has just begun. Perhaps because of a unique way of life there. Heaven, earth, humans, and deities coexist. Pure faith is interwoven with vivid colors, and the attraction of nature and culture reaches some kind of ultimate level. So, this winter, see you in Tibet!

Traveling to Tibet in winter, you'll find far fewer tourists, but more pilgrims heading to Lhasa. There's wind but it's not too cold, leaves are falling but without the desolate sense of bleak autumn. No matter how bustling Lhasa becomes, in the teahouses tucked in its streets, among the crowds walking the Barkhor kora, you can still find the familiar taste, still get lost in the warm sunshine, and be moved by the devout believers. There's always a place that will touch the softest part of your heart and become a spiritual home.

Coming to Lhasa, naturally you have to find a spot on Barkhor Street to sit and sip the afternoon away. Order a pot of sweet tea and chat with fellow travelers about each other's pasts.

Barkhor Street is definitely no ordinary street.

It traverses time and space, witnessing Lhasa's past and present. In the world, you probably can't find another street like Barkhor, which carries faith yet bustles with merchants, accepts worship from countless believers while warmly welcoming visitors from everywhere.

After ticking off Barkhor Street, we'll split into two groups to check out various Instagram-worthy photo spots around Lhasa.

I'm sure you've all seen reflection photos of the Potala Palace. So, isn't our Potala reflection photo quite spectacular? I won't tell just anyone where it was taken.

Since we're here, we must check off the night view at Potala Palace Square. At this very moment, Teacher Fu and the others are at the trendy Beijing Road vantage point, waiting to capture the night view of Potala from another angle.

The busy streets of Lhasa.

Meanwhile, the other side of Lhasa is exceptionally quiet at night. See you at Potala tomorrow!

Get up early in the morning and visit the Potala Palace when there aren't many people.

The solemn Potala Palace stands proudly on Marpo Ri Hill in Lhasa. This palatial architectural complex can be viewed from countless angles, no matter the season, sunrise or sunset, or after snow. It may be sacred in your eyes, yet at the same time it appears imbued with mortal hustle and bustle, so within reach amid the cooking smoke.

Coming out of the Potala Palace, we head to Potala Palace Square. Yes, mainly to accompany this young lady as she tries the water-splashing reflection photo trick.

Actually, I think she's not really taking a reflection photo but just wiping dust off the paving stones of Potala Palace Square.

Alright, after all that hard work, let's put up one photo. The young lady with us said she never wants to see the Potala Palace again; in these two days in Lhasa she's really had her fill of it.

Jokhang Temple is called "Jokhang" in Tibetan, the ultimate pilgrimage destination for Tibetan Buddhist believers. The sanctity of Jokhang is no less than that of the Potala Palace.

It was built by Songtsen Gampo to commemorate Princess Bhrikuti's arrival in Tibet. People often say, "Jokhang Temple came first, and then the city of Lhasa."

The highlight of Jokhang Temple is the twelve-year-old statue of Sakyamuni brought by Princess Wencheng when she entered Tibet; Lhasa's title as "holy land" is related to this statue.

To the right of Jokhang Temple, you’ll see Tibetan believers. They put their hands together, stand up, fall down, and stretch their entire bodies flat on the cushions, continuously prostrating.

Regardless of wind, sun, day, or night.

Let's set out to find the holy lake in our hearts!

Plateau lakes — the tiny ones like stars, the huge ones like mirrors of the sky — are the soul of this vast land. The rhythmic and ever-changing sapphire blue rescues the plateau from loneliness, giving the people living here a subtle and profound spiritual touch.

The lakes of Tibet are tears left by Buddha for the human world.

Each drop is comfort for earthly suffering; each drop is love sprinkled from heaven under sunlight. The moment you arrive at a holy lake, in your heart you know that coming here was somehow predestined long ago.

Yamdrok Lake is the largest inland lake at the northern foot of the Himalayas. Its beauty, with the interplay of lake and mountains, is the most stunning in southern Tibet.

As one of the three sacred lakes of Tibet, it is also called "Turquoise Lake" or "the Coral Lake above." Yamdrok is different from other lakes because of the varied shades of blue it displays at different times.

The blue of the lake is unlike any earthly blue, something I still haven't found anywhere else. Standing still and gazing, all you hear is the wind blowing through prayer flags, as if telling you: Tibet, you simply must come.

Not far from Yamdrok Lake stands a little-known 7,000-meter peak: Noijin Kangsang, the main peak of the Lhagoi Kangri range. Tibetan people call it "Noijin Kangsang," meaning "the yaksha god resides on the noble snow mountain."

It is more like a devout believer, guarding the holy Yamdrok Lake day and night, forever.

Leaving the beautiful Yamdrok Lake, we continue our journey. The next stop is the foot of magnificent Mount Everest.

On the way to Everest Base Camp, we first pass the world's most spectacular viewing platform — the Gawu La Pass.

As for how spectacular it is: in a word, on a clear day here you can see five 8,000-meter peaks at the same time. This is the only place on earth where you can see five 8,000-meter peaks simultaneously.

From the top of the pass, you can see the five towering snow mountains lined up.

What do you feel when you face these five 8,000-meter giants so close?

Tick off Everest Base Camp. Alright, we can now say we've been to Mount Everest. Even though we may never climb it, just gazing at it from afar leaves you deeply awed by the majesty of the world's highest peak.

Why don't I have a check-in photo at Everest? Mainly because our buddy Cheng Su's photography skills are simply too outstanding.

When auspicious clouds and Everest shine upon each other, the scene before you is so awe-inspiring it leaves you speechless. Here, the auspicious clouds over Everest's summit are for everyone; may 2021 be smooth for all of you.

Return trip, passing through Gawu La Pass again. The snow mountains at sunset look even more spectacular.

Climbing to the top of Gawu La Pass again and looking south from the pass, from left to right are: Makalu, Lhotse, Mount Everest, Cho Oyu, and Shishapangma.

It's rare for me, an outdoor rain god, to have such good weather. Looks like my luck is turning in 2021.

Return trip, check off the 5,000 km milestone of National Highway 318. The sun in Tibet is always so gentle that even the dogs doze lazily in the sun at the roadside.

Let's keep moving. See you again on Barkhor Street in Lhasa.

"In the world, you probably can't find another street like Barkhor, which carries faith yet bustles with merchants, accepts worship from countless believers while warmly welcoming visitors from everywhere, continuing its historical mission while creating its own legend."

Here is sacred faith, and also unique little shops. This is the scene and history of Lhasa, a place with profound heritage.

Walking into Barkhor Street, there are many popular shops. Many travel bloggers write these trendy spots into their guides, and people rush to check them out as soon as they arrive in Lhasa, as if the trip wouldn't be complete without a visit.

When our young lady first came to Barkhor Street, she had already scouted and asked about the prices of traditional Tibetan-style clothing and makeup at Zuling, just so she could get a glamorous photo shoot on Barkhor Street when we returned.

Jokhang Temple's ticket includes not only ground blanketed with sunshine, but also the constant stream of devout believers and, of course, our beautiful Drolma lady.

Walking along the thousand-year-old kora path, the crowd moving clockwise is not as noisy as you'd imagine. Prayer wheels keep spinning in hands, turning with devotion. Chanting is embraced by sunlight, Buddha in the inner circle. In the cycle of life and death, I see prostrating backs engraved against the vastness.

On Barkhor Street, with just a glance, you can easily tell who is a hurried tourist and who is a devout pilgrim.

Alright, our trip to Tibet at the beginning of 2021 is coming to an end. Though the time was short, we are destined not to be just passing visitors. Tibet, see you next time!

One last line: I don't need to tell you how wonderful, beautiful, and worth visiting Tibet is — you should know.

If life on earth feels worthless, then go to Tibet.

I'm Hua Zi. Maybe we'll have an unforgettable encounter somewhere, sometime!