A woman suddenly dropped her body to the floor to do what looked like a press-up but – as our guide pointed out – the energetic move was actually a Buddhist act of worship.
We had landed in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa – one of the highest cities in the world at 11,995ft – on our way to Everest Base Camp to break a world record for the world’s highest dinner party, as previously covered .
Wandering through the narrow streets, it was instantly clear that religion ruled in the ancient metropolis.
MailOnline Travel’s Sadie Whitelocks ventured to Lhasa in Tibet, one of the highest cities at 11,995ft.
Above, a woman performs a prostration as a sign of worship
Dozens of people were ‘press-upping’ their way around the place in pilgrimage despite the thin air, while others swung prayer wheels in their hands or rubbed strings of rosary beads, muttering hypnotic chants as they went.
Monks dressed in blood-red robes casually mixed in with the street traffic, doing a spot of shopping or running errands.
Our guide was taking us to see Jokhang Temple in the central Barkhor Square.
The low-rise monastery, which dates to the 7th century, is considered the spiritual centre of Tibet and the holiest destination for pilgrims.
In 2000, it was listed as a Unesco World Heritage Site and people flock from far and wide to visit the historic spot.
RELATED ARTICLES Share this article Share 60 shares Lacquer paintings on the wall the day we visited, we learned that the queue time was more than two hours, so we decided to get a cup of coffee instead. With our stay being short, time was precious and no-one fancied standing in line.
We checked into the Summit Cafe – which has top ratings on TripAdivor for its coffee and cakes – and settled in for a hot beverage.
We were thrilled to find the Wi-Fi was running, although as we’d been warned, Facebook was down.
As an autonomous region of China, Facebook censorship is applied across Tibet.
The Potala Palace in Lhasa was once the residence of the Dalai Lama, until the 14th Dalai Lama fled to India during the 1959 Tibetan uprising. It now serves as a museum and World Heritage Site and is also home Paintings to worship the dead ancestors many monks
On the fashion front, Sadie said there was a mix of traditional dress around Lhasa blended in with the new
The Tibetan capital – one of the highest cities in the world at 11,995ft – boasts magnificent mountain views
Other signs of Chinese rule included a strong military presence.