ThePotala Palaceis a Tibetancastlelocated on Red Hill with an elevation of 3,750 meters(12,300 feet) above sea level inLhasa,the capital of China's Tibet Autonomous Region.
It was originally built in 631 AD bySongtsan Gampo(the first king of the Tibet kingdom) as a royal palace as well as a defensive fortress.
It has been thewinter palaceresidence of theDalai Lamasduring the past dynasties meanwhile it also had become a ruling center of the politics and religion in Tibet.
The Potala Palace was listed as aworld cultural heritage now. Theopen areaof Potala Palace is the main building which consists of the White House and the Red Palace which contains a large number of cultural relics and treasures inside.
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Why the Potala Palace is Remarkable
ThePotala Placeis considered to be one of thewonders of the worldfor its location, physical structure, and its importance inTibetanhistory and religion.
The Potala Palace has more than1,000 roomswith an area of130,000 square meters. In terms of architecture, it is a palace holding ingeniousTibetan architecturewith stone and wooden structures that have withstood centuries.
Up to now, the Potala Palace has been one of the holiest landmarks of Tibetan Buddhism. Numerous people pilgrimage to the Potala Palace every day.
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Potala Palace
History Timeline
- 631–7AD:The first Potala Palace was built for the First King of Tibet Songtsan Gampo.
- 877:The first Potala Palace was destroyed when the Tubo Dynasty collapsed.
- 1645:The second Potala Palace was built for the 5th Dalai Lama Lobsang Gyatso (1617–1682).
- 1922:The Potala Palace was renovated for the 13th Dalai Lama (1876–1933).
- 1961:The Potala Palace was closed due to political reasons.
- 1980:The Potala Palace wasreopened to the public.
- 1994:The Potala Palace joined the UNESCO World, Heritage List.
Who built Potala Palace and for What
Theconstructionof a 'White/Red Palace' has a 1,300-year history. The firstPotala Palacewas built inAD 631bySongtsen Gampo,first king of Tibet, after uniting the kingdoms ofthe Qinghai-Tibet Plateauand choosingLhasaas his capital city.
AlthoughRed Hill'sveneration as a holy site may have played a part, according to historical records, the firstPotala Palacewas mainly built there for military purposes, because it was anideallocation to defend against foreign aggression.
It is also said that the firstPotala Palacewas built forPrincess Wenchengof the ChineseTang Dynasty(618–907) who marriedSongtsen Gampoin 641, however, construction ended before themarriageand probably began before they first met.
Then, in AD 877, following the Tibetan Empire's collapse, the Potala Palace was almost completelydestroyedby Tibet's warring tribes and only two houses of the Potala were left.
This structure was burned to the ground in 877 during a war that ended with Tibetan Empire's collapse， the Potala Palace was almost completelydestroyedby Tibet's warring tribes and only two houses of the Potala were left.
Jokhang Templeis where Princess Wencheng's wedding gift of a statue ofSakyamuniis worshiped.Ramoche Templewas built by decree ofPrincess Wencheng.
A Winter Palace for Dalai Lamas in Tibet
The building of a secondPotala Palacefollowed the rise of theDalai LamasinTibet. The5th Dalai Lama杰姆ented lamaic rule with thePotala'sconstruction in1649as a place of government and spiritual focus.
Red Hillwas chosen as the site, first for its location between important monasteries and the city, but also its spiritual association with Potala, the spiritual home ofChenrezig, 'theLord Who Looks Down', who theDali Lamasare believed to represent on earth.
White Wall of Potala Palace
The5th Dalai LamaLobsang Gyatso, in the years1645, organized the construction of asecond Potala Palace, and he visited the site and participated in thearchitectural designin person.
After3 years' construction, the Potala'sWhite Palacewas completed and it became thewinter residencefor later generations ofDalai Lamas.In the following300 years, construction and renovation of thePotala Palacecontinued.
In1922,13th Dalai Lamagave the last construction andrenovationto thePotala Palace, but the maintenance of thePotala Palacehas continued till today.
What is the Potala Palace Used for Today
ThePotala Palacewas listed asWorld Cultural Heritagein1994. The majestic palace is no longer a symbol ofpoliticalpower but is still an important place forpilgrims.It is still home toTibetan monks, and they chant there every day. A lot ofBuddhistsgo there to light a lamp for prayer.
Today'sPotala Palaceis also known as one of the most popularmuseumsin the world with a large collection ofsutrasand important historicaldocuments在里面。这是一个欣赏的好地方Tibetan culture, history, religion, and architecture.
People come to Potala Palace for Pilgrimage
What's Inside the Potala Palace
Murals
Muralsare an important part of the artwork of thePotala Palace. The total area of murals is more than2,500square meters. The vividthemesof the murals include historical figures, historical stories, Buddhist scriptures, religious myths, architecture, folk customs, sports, entertainment, and so on.
The mostfamous muralin the palace is the one showing scenes from whenPrincess Wenchengwas married toTibetan KingSongsten Gampo,statue of twelve-year-oldSakyamuni Buddhawas brought toTibet,and theTibetan peoplewelcomed the statue devoutly and happily.
Thangkas
Thangkas, also known asscroll paintings, are most representative ofTibetan art.Painted on silk, cloth, or paper, the mainthemeis framed with colorful decoration.
Thangkas
The contents of thangkas are usuallyBuddhaincarnations,Bodhisattvas, andTibetan Buddhistmasters, religious customs, and so on.
There are more than10,000pieces ofthangkasin thePotala Palaceamounting to about340square meters.
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Sculptures and Statues
Statues of Songtsan Gampo
ThePotala Palacehas a large number ofsculpturetreasures from the7thcentury, including a large number of stone carvings, wood carvings, and clay carvings.
The most outstanding sculptures are the cast-ironBuddha statues, which can be over 10meters tall, while thesmallestone is only a few centimeters tall.
Dalai Lama Stupas
Stupas
There are eightStupasin thePotala Palace,occupying an area of700square meters. Each stupa houses anentire bodyof aDalai Lama. The stupas are built in various sizes, from10meters (32 ft.) high. They are wooden structures set with gold and precious jewelry.
The most luxurious is the fifth Dalai Lama'sstupa, which is15meters (50 ft.) tall and wrapped in gold. More than15,000 jewels decorateit, including diamonds, rubies, emeralds, pearls, and agates.
Artifacts
Housed within the Potala's amazing stone and wood structure are articles and artifacts fromTibetan history,religion, and culture.Antiquesthat are centuries old and incredible works of art grace every area of thismountain top palace.
The elaborate works of art tell many stories of theDalai Lamasand the history of theTibetan peopleand depict different customs and traditions held dear in this beautiful part of the world.
Scriptures
ThePotala Palacekeeps nearly40,000volumes of antique texts in Mandarin, Tibetan, Manchu, Mongolian, and Sanskrit.80%of the texts areBuddhist scriptures.
The most precious scripture is theTibetan Kagyur of the Tripitaka,which was written withink made of gold, silver, coral, iron, green diamond, red copper, white conch shell,and pearl powder.
Buddhist scriptures
Potala Palace Architecture
ThePotala Palace's shape给它一个华丽的外表。主要building of the palace is115meters high with a total of13stories. The palacestructuresare made ofstoneandwood,宫殿墙壁是用花岗岩建造的。
It contains1,000 rooms, including assembly halls, stupa halls, shrines, prayer rooms, monks' dormitories, government offices, and temples, as well as courtyards.
As the palace is built on ahillsideand the terrain is uneven, the interior is anasymmetrical architectural layout. Theoutside layoutof the Potala Palace is the two wings of theWhite Palacein the east and west with theRed Palacein the middle.
Outside Layout of Potala Palace
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The White Palace
TheWhite Palacewas home to ten successiveDalai Lamasand their courts. Also located there are the former offices of the Tibetan government, governmental assembly halls, and other official offices.
Thefifth Dalai Lamacompleted it in1649, and therefore, this structure pays homage to him in greater measure than previous Dalai Lamas or those that would follow.
In1755, a park namedNorbulingkawas built not far from thePotala Palace, like the Dalai Lamas'summer residence. Then the Potala Palacebecame thewinter residenceof Dalai Lama.
White Palace in the evening
After the TibetanTibetan New Year,y would move from thePotala PalacetoNorbulingkaand return to the Potala Palace in lateSeptemberor early October of theTibetan calendar.
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The Red Palace
Located in the center of thePotala Palace,Red Palacewas designed in ashape of Mandala(Sanskritfor 'circle')layout—an Indian Buddhist design idea with elements emanating from a central hub. It was built in1690during the time of the6th Dalai Lama.
Golden roofssurround theRed Palace— thesevenroofs are made of gilded bronze. They are the tops of the holystupasof theDalai Lamas. Every golden roof is decorated with one to fiveflower-and-bell-shapedspires, which also serve as lightning conductors.
Red Palace of Potala
TheRed Palacewas used as a house of prayer byDalai Lamas. This part of the Potala Palace was dedicated to the study ofBuddhismand the advancement of thereligion.
In terms ofarchitecturealone, thePotala Palaceis notonly a palace or afortressbut also a religioussanctuaryand amausoleum.
Best Times to Visit the Potala Palace
The best time to travel aroundTibetis betweenAprilandOctober,and the peak season isJulytoOctober. See more onTibet Weather.
The Potala Palaceis a protected site. For this reason, the government haslimitedthe number of visitors allowed each day, as well as the visit duration, during peak season.
In peak season, about3,000visitors per day are allowed and visitors have approximately1hour to visit the site. If you travel with us, we will do our best to book your tickets.
Be aware that your visit may not be at the planned time (for example, the itinerary may show that you will visit thePotalain the morning,but we may only be able to book you a visit in the afternoon).
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Visiting Tips
1. To see thePotala Palacefrom afar is the best way to appreciate the panorama of this spectacular building. The roof ofJokhang Temple(east of the palace) andChakpori (a hill southwest of the palace) are the best sites.
3. Climbing steps at high altitudes requires good physical condition. There isno liftto the palace or inside, so visitors need to climb100meters (300 feet) of steps. Go slowly and enjoy the view to avoidaltitude sicknessor other discomforts.
Steps to the top of Potala Palace
4. Photography, video equipment, and other recording devices arenot allowedin the palace.
5. Flammable items (such as alcohol, sprays, lighters, cigarettes) or sharp items (such as scissors and even nail clippers) arenot allowedin the palace. Two good options are to carry a few things as you can when you visit thePotalaor to deposit your bags at the entrance.
6. Visiting thePotala Palacerequires avoiding thetaboosof Tibetan Buddhism. Don't wear revealing clothes, hats, sunglasses, or masks when visiting the site. Modest clothing is encouraged.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the meaning of Potala?
Potala (Tibetan, from Sanskrit; Putuo in Mandarin) refers to the fabled mountain residence of the Bodhisattva (Buddhist saint) Avalokitesvara ('Looking-Down Lord', Chenrezig in Tibetan, Guanyin in Mandarin), who embodies the Buddhist 'eye' of compassion and is believed to manifest as the Dalai Lamas.
Tibetan people began to venerate Red Hill (Marpori) as a holy site of Buddhism in the 7th century where the soul of Chenrezig resides, and thus it was known as their Mount Potala.
2. Who lives in Potala Place now?
十四世达赖喇嘛逃离到印度后1959年,there was no one living inside. Not until the 1980's the Potala Palace was opened to the public and has been a museum. In 1994, it joined the UNESCO World, Heritage List.
Find Out More about the Potala Palace in Person
Nothing rivals going to the Potala to listen to its history in person. China Highlights'Lhasa tourguides are picked from the best. They can tell you more tales of Tibet history, which will mean so much more when in context.
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