Lhasa, also La-sa, city and capital of the autonomous region of Tibet, southwestern China. It is located in southeastern Tibet in the Himalayas. The city is situated near the Lhasa He (a tributary of the Brahmaputra River) in a fertile plain almost 3,660 m (almost 12,010 ft) above sea level. It is surrounded by lofty, barren mountains. The chief commercial center of Tibet, Lhasa is linked by highway with major cities of neighboring provinces. The city has grown rapidly since the 1960s. The city’s most famous landmark is the Potala, an enormous palace built on a ridge overlooking the northern part of the city. It is the former residence of the Dalai Lama, who was the spiritual and temporal leader of Tibet (see Tibetan Buddhism). Other notable structures include the former summer palace of the Dalai Lama and two huge monasteries on the outskirts of the city.

Lhasa was the spiritual center of Tibet as early as the 7th century. It was briefly the national capital during the 9th century. In 1642 the fifth Dalai Lama (1617-1682) became the secular ruler of Tibet, beginning the construction of the Potala as his palace. Because of its remoteness and the hostile attitudes of its clergy to foreigners, Lhasa became known as the Forbidden City. Except for a few pilgrims and missionaries, the first visit by Europeans occurred in 1904, when a British expedition led by Sir Francis Edward Younghusband entered the city. Lhasa was occupied by the Chinese Communists in 1951. The 14th Dalai Lama fled in 1959 during an abortive Tibetan revolt against Chinese domination. Many religious edifices and treasures were damaged in the late 1960s during the Cultural Revolution. Population (1991) 161,788.