[Tibet, Lhasa] Setting Foot on the Plateau for the First Time: Entry Procedures, a Stroll Through Drepung Monastery, and the Potala Palace at Night — A Day at the Starting Point of a Dream

On the first day arriving at the land of my dreams, my heart was both nervous and full of anticipation. I was worried the Tibet permit process might get stuck, and worried about altitude sickness, but thankfully everything went smoothly. Officially setting off on the journey to Tibet. 🗓 Today's Itinerary Chengdu → Lhasa Tibet entry procedures | Sichuan Airlines | Check-in at Hotel Debon | Stroll at Drepung Monastery | Dinner with a night view of the Potala Palace Early Morning 4:30 | Taiwanese Entering Tibet: A Complicated Process Starting from Dawn Today we had to catch the shuttle bus to the airport at five, so we had to get up at 4:30. My friend joked, "The more we travel, the less we sleep." The hotel thoughtfully prepared a boxed meal for us, and the packaging was quite exquisite.

At 5 o'clock, the hotel's own shuttle bus and the travel agency's pick-up van arrived at the same time, and we almost got on the wrong one — but actually both were headed to the airport, so it didn't really matter. To ensure a smooth handover of the Tibet Entry Permit, the travel agency will require passengers to take a designated flight. If you wish to switch to taking the train into Tibet or use a different flight, you will need to pay an additional fee to apply for a second Entry Permit. The travel agency will first gather our whole group of 12 Taiwanese travelers and take us to the counter together to check in. The counter staff will check the Entry Permits and the passenger list one by one. Since the travel agency staff cannot accompany us through security, afterward we will need to go through with our Entry Permits on our own and be inspected in turn. These procedures forced what should have been a simple domestic check-in process to start a full two and a half hours early. Fortunately, everything went smoothly, and after clearing the checks there was still over an hour to spare. Sichuan Airlines: Surprisingly thoughtful service Flying with Sichuan Airlines this time, the quality of service was a pleasant surprise. The flight attendants gave a gift to a passenger nearby who was celebrating a birthday and prepared longevity noodles for them. When the passenger in the next seat spilled water, they immediately arranged a seat change. The cabin crew patrolled attentively and had an excellent attitude throughout. During the flight, as we crossed the mountains, the scenery outside the window gradually changed from deep brown valleys to snow-covered peaks, becoming more magnificent the closer we got to Lhasa.

After nearly three hours, we arrived smoothly at Lhasa Gonggar Airport. There was no additional inspection, so we could just pick up our luggage and go through customs.

The tour guide greeted us at the exit and presented each member of our group with a khata scarf, symbolizing blessings — this moment made us truly feel the sense of ceremony in stepping onto Tibetan soil.

Arrival in Lhasa | Check-in at Deprung Hotel and Altitude Acclimatization After our guide, Brother Yong, took a group photo with us, we boarded the dedicated bus for the next eight days and headed to the hotel where we'd be staying.

We arrived at the hotel close to 1 p.m. The Tebont Hotel is about a 15-minute drive from the Potala Palace, and the room is spacious and comes with oxygen supply equipment.

The Tour Guide's "Day-One Acclimatization Rules" To avoid altitude sickness, please be sure to follow these rules on the first day: No showering No drinking alcohol No strenuous exercise Be sure to rest in the afternoon Keep meals light Once we've dropped off our luggage, we'll eat nearby first, then head back to the room to rest until evening.

An evening stroll to Drepung Monastery: the first little outing to acclimate to the plateau After finishing my nap at six in the evening and getting the laundry done, Mom and I decided to go for a walk nearby. Drepung Monastery is about a 20-minute walk from the hotel. This monastery was where the Dalai Lama lived and practiced before moving into the Potala Palace.

此刻的天空，完全不像是 10 月傍晚六點該有的亮度。 雖然抵達時寺門已關閉，但我們原本就不打算過度行走，以免讓身體太累。 回程買了西藏產的蘋果，回飯店請餐廳協助切片，他還貼心地幫我們泡鹽水。 七點時醫生查房，逐一確認旅客狀況。 媽媽含氧 81%、我 89%、朋友 88%。醫生說只要在 80% 以上都算正常。 布達拉宮夜景下的晚餐 晚上，小賀在拉薩的朋友邀請我們一起吃飯，特地開車載我們到布達拉宮附近的景觀餐廳。 能一邊看表演（歌唱、舞蹈），一邊欣賞布達拉宮夜景，再配著暖呼呼的火鍋，真的是太享受了。

The mother and daughter traveling together also purchased the shop's video recording service (like the dry-land scallion-pulling move), for 49 RMB per clip.

We had our meal until 10:20 before leaving the restaurant. After returning to the room, since we couldn't shower, we could only do a simple brushing of teeth and washing of face, lay out the clothes for tomorrow, and went to bed early. Summary | The first step officially into the plateau Today may seem like just flying and resting, but actually, starting from early morning, the procedures for entering Tibet were like a careful ritual. After arriving in Lhasa, offering the khata scarf, the oxygen room, the doctor's room check measuring oxygen levels — every moment reminded us: You have truly arrived at the plateau. The official Lhasa journey begins today.