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Lhasa,
the capital of China's Tibet Autonomous Region, has a history of
more than 1,300 years. Lhasa is the political, economic, cultural
and transport center of the region. Lhasa covers an area of close
to 30,000 square km. It has a downtown of 544 square km and a population
of 400,000; 140,000 of its people live in the downtown area. Lhasa
is home to the Tibetan, Han, and Hui peoples, as well as many other
ethnic groups, but the Tibetan ethnic group makes up 87 percent of
the total population.
Lhasa has beautiful scenery. The Lhasa River, known as the "merry
blue waves," runs
through the snow-covered peaks and gullies of the Nyainqentanglha Mountains,
extending 315 km. The river empties into the Yarlung Zangbo River at Quxu, forming
a scenic wonder that features blue and white water waves.
The ancient city of Lhasa stands by the Lhasa River. Inside the city towers the
Potala Palace. The city features a combination of traditional and modern things,
including prayer wheels and computers.
Loated at the bottom of a small basin surrounded by mountains, Lhasa
has an elevation of 3,650 meters and sits at 91'06E and 29'36N, the
center of the Tibet Plateau. Blessed with flat land and mild weather,
Lhasa is free of fri gid
winters and unbearably hot summers, having an annual average daily
temperature of 8 degrees C (43 degrees F). It enjoys 3,000 hours of
sunlight annually, much more than all other cities in this regard,giving
the city its title of"sunlit city."
Lhasa enjoys an annual precipitation of 500 mm.Lhasa rains mainly in
July, August and September. The rainy seasons in the summer and fall
are the best seasons of the year, when it rains mostly at night, and
is sunny in the daytime.
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