Lhasa

American  

[lah-suh, -sah, las-uh] / ˈlɑ sə, -sɑ, ˈlæs ə /

Or Lasa,

noun

1. a city in and the capital of Tibet, in the SE part: sacred city of Lamaism. About 12,000 feet (3,650 meters) above sea level.

---

Lhasa British  

/ ˈlɑːsə /

noun

1. a city in SW China, capital of Tibet, at an altitude of 3606 m (11 830 ft): for centuries the sacred city of Lamaism and residence of the Dalai Lamas from the 17th century until 1950; known as the Forbidden City because it was closed to Westerners until the beginning of the 20th century; annexed by China in 1951. The Dalai Lama fled after an unsuccessful revolt against Chinese rule in 1959. Pop: 131 000 (2005 est)

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Lhasa

Lhasa, the seat of the Potala Palace and for centuries the capital of the Tibetan kingdom, is one of the world’s highest-altitude cities.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026

As a journalist who has covered North Korea, it has often been easier for me to contact interviewees in Pyongyang than it is in the Tibetan capital, Lhasa.

From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026

The 90-year-old Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama has been based in India since fleeing the Tibetan capital Lhasa after Chinese troops crushed an uprising in 1959.

From Barron's ● Jul. 3, 2026

Ballinger cuts nearly two weeks from his trips by driving his bedroom-acclimatized clients from the airport in Lhasa, Tibet, straight up to the northern route’s base camp, which is also at about 18,000 feet.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 29, 2024

In the heart of the forbidden country; or, Lhasa revealed.

From Select List of Books ... Relating to the Far East by Appleton Prentiss Clark Griffin