1,165km (722 miles) S of Golmud, 278km (172 miles) E of Shigatse. Altitude: 3,600m (11,808 ft.)
The religious and political heart of the Tibetan world, Lhasa sits on the north bank of the Kyi Chu, surrounded by colossal mountain ranges to the north and south. The first hint that you are entering the traditional capital of Tibet is the red and white palaces of the Potala, home to Tibet's spiritual and temporal leaders, the Dalai Lamas, since the 17th century.
In accordance with the Chinese Constitution, Tibet follows the system of regional national autonomy. This is a system under which certain ethnic minority areas, under the unified leadership of the Central Government, set up organs of self-government to handle their own affairs. The said government organs of the Tibet Autonomous Region are the People's Congress and the People's Government of the Tibet Autonomous Region, their chief leaders being Tibetan.
Acting in accordance with the local political, economic and cultural situation, the Tibet Autonomous Region has the power to formulate its own rules and regulations; make independent arrangement for the development of local economic and construction undertakings, and for exploitation of local natural resources; independently arrange and use local financial revenues and financial allocations from the Central Government; and independently decide on the development of ethnic education, and literary endeavors, art, press, publication, radio broadcasting, TV and other cultural undertakings with salient ethnic characteristics.
The First People's Congress of the Tibet Autonomous Region was convened from September 1-9, 1965 in Lhasa with the approval of the Central Government. Among the 301 deputies were 226 Tibetans and 16 of the Moinba, Lhoba, Hui, Naxi, Nu and other ethnic groups, making up upwards of 80 percent of the total number. The founding of the Tibet Autonomous Region was officially declared during the congress, and Ngapoi Ngawang Jigmei was elected its chairman.
The Chinese Constitution promulgated in 1982 reaffirms some of the major principles on the enforcement of regional national autonomy laid down in the 1954 Constitution, and stipulates in explicit terms: "Among the chairman and vice-chairmen of the standing committee of the people's congress of an autonomous region, prefecture or county there shall be one or more citizens of the ethnic minority or minorities exercising regional autonomy in the area concerned? "the chairman of an autonomous region, the prefect of an autonomous prefecture or the head of an autonomous county shall be a citizen of the ethnic minority exercising regional autonomy in the area concerned."
Also, according to the Chinese Constitution, among the deputies to the people's congress of an autonomous region, prefecture or county, in addition to those of the ethnic minority or minorities exercising regional autonomy, there should also be a certain number of deputies of other ethnic groups who live in the area concerned.
The Chinese Constitution also stipulates that the State will assist, financially, materially and technologically, various ethnic minorities in developing economic and cultural undertakings, and energetically cultivate cadres, especially various kinds of professionals and technical workers. With regard to the autonomous rights due to the organs of self-government, the Chinese Constitution has stipulations regarding economic construction, finance, education, science, culture, health, sports, and use of ethnic languages.
The Law of the People's Republic of China on Regional National Autonomy promulgated in 1984 is a national law next only to the Constitution in terms of importance in the exercise of regional national autonomy. It provides ethnic minorities concerned with legal guarantees in the exercise of regional national autonomy.
Tibet exercises regional national autonomy in accordance with the Chinese Constitution and the Law of the People's Republic of China on Regional National Autonomy. Organs of self-government are set up to manage their own affairs, and for serfs and slaves in Tibet, who used to live at the bottom of society, to gain emancipation and become masters of their own fate, enjoying full democratic rights. A great number of ex-serfs and ex-slaves have become leading cadres at various levels.
Implementation of the system of regional national autonomy guarantees the political rights for the Tibetan people. Tibetan residents aged 18 begin to enjoy the right to vote and the right to stand for vote, irrespective of ethnic group, race, sex, occupation, family background, religious belief, education, property and term of residence. They elect their own deputies, and, through these deputies, elect the people's congresses at various levels to exercise the power to manage the State and local affairs.
At present, deputies of the Tibetan and other ethnic groups to the People's Congress of the Tibet Autonomous Region and people's congresses at the prefectural and municipal levels in Tibet make up 99.92 percent of the total number; 92.6 percent of the deputies to the people's congresses at the county level; 82.44 percent of the total number of the 7th People's Congress of the Tibet Autonomous Region.
Cadres of the Tibetan and other ethnic minorities make up 75.3 percent of the total in the Tibet Autonomous Region. Leaders of the Tibetan and other ethnic minorities make up 67.2 percent of the total at the regional level, 60.9 percent at the county level, 65.3 percent at the prefectural or municipal level, and 77.82 percent at the provincial level.