The perky yellow of the mustard flowers is brighter than you have seen anywhere else. Lhasa is a wild festival of color. Strings of multicoloured prayer flags flutter on mountain tops, on homes, and in temples and monasteries. The colors represent the elements red for the sun, yellow for the earth, blue for water, green for plants and white for the clouds. Wooden poles and floors of prayer halls are covered in cloth of deep red, the monks swaying in prayer are wrapped in a sober maroon, but with a cheeky yellow peeking through at sleeves and neckline.
Monasteries are like little cities.
Catering, a few decades ago, to thousands of monks, they now house mere hundreds. Perched atop a mountain, they rise sheer from the ground, their walls following the line of the hillside, extending it upwards. Inside, the rooms are dark but for a stream of yellow light filtering through curtained skylights. The brightness comes from the glow of golden Buddhas and rows of yak butter lamps lit by pilgrims as an offering. The heart of Lhasa is Barkhor Bazaar, a traditional market skirting Tibet's most sacred temple, the Jorkhang.