At 3,700 m Tibet’s capital Lhasa (”God’s place” in English) is very close to heaven. There is probably no other city in the world where religion and politics, belief and culture, worship and daily routine are as closely interwoven as in Lhasa. Lhasa is the heart of Tibet and the Potala Palace the spiritual centre of Lhasa. More than 50 years of Chinese occupation have strongly altered the country and its capital. Lhasa used to be a “forbidden city” for foreigners, whereas today tourists can reach it by plane and for a short time even by train. Six-lane highways run across the holy pilgrim paths and the traditional houses in the historic city centre are surrounded by gigantic consumers’ meccas and uniform blocks of flats. The city has lost its Tibetan face but preserved its soul. The film shows how the Tibetans keep being faithful to their ancient culture despite meeting fierce resistance. It focuses on two monks, a teacher and his student, who set off on a pilgrimage to Lhasa from their home convent.