Tibet Museum

A beautiful and vast structure, both on the inside and out, the Tibet Museum is the official museum for the autonomous region. Spanning almost 24,000 square meters, the structure holds the keys to Tibet's past, present and future.

Opened in 1999, the multi-million dollar project houses more than 1000 artifacts and pieces from Tibet's long and rich history. The exhibitions are divided into pre-history culture, indivisible history, culture and arts, and people's customs. It ranges thousands of years and covers politics, history, culture, customs and religion. Priceless treasures such as Buddha statues, jade artifacts, gifts granted by emperors, gold and silver adornments and Chinese pottery are just a few of the many on display. And the descriptions of most items are listed in English, as well as Tibetan, Chinese and Japanese. The museum is the first of its kind, really taking the first step to gather all of Tibet's history in one place. This is definitely one of the must-sees while in the capital Lhasa.

Admission: Free, audio guide is an additional 20 rmb
Hours: Tue-Sun 10:00am - 6:00pm. Closed on Mondays
Getting There: It is an affordable taxi ride from downtown. Also, buses 86, 98, 109, 201, 203, 204 all run to Tibet Museum.