Famous Landmarks: Satellite View of Potala Palace, Lhasa, Tibet, China - Nations Online Project Satellite View of Potala Palace ___ Famous Landmarks - Satellite View of Potala Palace (པོ་ཏ་ལ), Lhasa, Tibet The front side of Potala Palace complex in Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region (Xizang) - Image: Antoine Taveneaux About Potala Palace The Potala complex in Lhasa with its massive walls, gates and turrets built of rammed earth and stone, comprises the White and the Red Palaces and several ancillary constructions. They were built on the Red Mountain in the center of Lhasa Valley. Lozang Gyatso, the Fifth Dalai Lama, started the construction of the Potala Palace in 1645. The complex symbolizes Tibetan Buddhism and its central role in the traditional administration of a unified Tibet. The Potala Palace was the core of the Tibetan theocracy, and the winter palace the chief residence of the Dalai Lama from the end of the 17th century until 1959.

The palace contains 698 murals, almost 10,000 painted scrolls, numerous sculptures, carpets, canopies, curtains, porcelain, jade, and fine objects of gold and silver, as well as a large collection of sutras and important historical documents. The Red Palace contains the gilded burial stupas of past Dalai Lamas. The Potala Palace complex is a UNESCO World Heritage Site . The Historic Ensemble of the Potala comprises the White and Red Palaces, Norbulingka, the Dalai Lama's former summer palace, and the Jokhang monastery. For most Tibetans the 7th-century Jokhang monastery near the palace, is the most sacred and the most revered site in Tibet. Satellite view is showing the location of Potala Palace, the Jokhang monastery and Ramoche temple monastery in Tibet's capital Lhasa which lies at an elevation of 3750 m above sea level.

φ Latitude, λ Longitude (of Map center; move the map to see coordinates): , Famous Landmarks in Lhasa, Lhasa Famous Landmarks Questions & Answers Famous Landmarks in Lhasa Famous Landmarks in Lhasa are considered the Name Card of Lhasa, like the Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Norbulingka, etc. ancient and new. They are somehow, represent a certain character or role Lhasa played to the world. Come with Top China Travel , to witness and appreciate those famous Lhasa Landmarks. Potala Palace The awe-inspiring Potala Palace, perched high above much of Lhasa, is the landmark of the city. The stone-and-wood-structured Potala Palace consists of the White Palace and Red Palace. The White Palace, comprising halls, temples and courtyards, serves as the living quarters of the Dalai Lama. The Red Palace includes various chambers for worshipping Buddha and chambers housing the eight stupa that contain the remains of fifth through thirteenth Dalai Lama. All the stupas are covered with gold foil. The most magnificent stupa belongs to the fifth Dalai Lama.

It is 14.85 meters tall and inlaid with pearl and jade. The palace also collected a large number of sculptures, murals, scripture and other valuable cultural relics. There are also many other constructions in Potala Palace which include: the school of Buddhist Logic, the Seminary, the printing house, gardens, courtyards and even the Jail. For more than 300 years, Potala Palace has treasured many culture relics such as murals, stupas, statues, tangkas, and rare sutras. It is indeed a must see in Lhasa. Jokhang Temple Located at the center of the old Lhasa, Jokhang Temple is the spiritual center of Tibet. Built in 647 by Songtsen Gampo, it has a history of more than 1,300 years. The temple is the fine product of Han, Tibetan and Nepalese architecture techniques. Visitors will be treated to the sight of various exotic and sacred sculptures. Jokhang Temple also houses many invaluable cultural relics. Every year, the Great Prayer Festival is held here.

The temple was called the Tsulag Khang or 'House of Wisdom' but it is now known as the Jokhang which means the 'House of the Lord'. It has remained a key center of Buddhist pilgrimage for centuries. Its complex has several decorated shrines and rooms. For most Tibetans it is the most sacred and important temple in Tibet. Along with the Potala Palace, it is probably the most popular tourist attraction in Lhasa. It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site 'Historic Ensemble of the Potala Palace'. Norbulingka Norbulingka means Jewel Garden. First built in 1751, it borrowed architectural style from the inland areas of China while maintaining local ethnic and religious features. Norbulingka served as a traditional summer palace and residence starting with the 7th Dalai Lama, and now it is the largest garden in Tibet. In 2001, UNESCO inscribed Norbulingka on its World Heritage Site as part of the 'Historic Ensemble of the Potala Palace'.

The garden is a favorite picnic spot and provides a beautiful venue for theatre, dancing and festivals, particularly the Sho Dun or 'Yoghurt Festival', at the beginning of August, with families camping in the grounds for days surrounded by colourful makeshift windbreaks of rugs and scarves and enjoying the height of summer weather. Sera Monastery The Sera Monastery is the last of the three principal Yellow Sect monasteries built in Lhasa. The setting itself is very beautiful with cobbled alleyways, temples and colleges. The highlight of visiting Sera Monastery will be watching monks debating inside the shady courtyard behind the main temple. Every day, hundreds of red-robed monks assemble in small groups and practice their debating skills. The highlight of visiting in Sera Monastery will be watching a monks debating inside the shady courtyard behind the main temple. Every day, hundreds of red-robed monks assemble in small groups and practice their debating skills. It is a highly entertaining spectacle, during which they strike poses not dissimilar to hip hop rappers. They are clap, turn, and finger point, whoop, holler, and throw their prayer beads about.

Drepung Monastery Drepung is the largest of all Tibetan monasteries, and indeed at its peak was the largest monastery of any religion in the world. It was founded in 1416 by Jamyang Chojey, a direct disciple of Je Tsongkhapa, the founder of the Gelukpa School. In Tibetan language, Drepung Monastery means monastery of collecting rice. It can be a somewhat useful analogy to think of Drepung as a university along the lines of Oxford or the Sorbonne in the Middle Ages, the various colleges having different emphases, teaching lineages, or traditional geographical affiliations. Today the population at the monastery located in Tibet is much smaller with merely a few hundred monks. However, the institution has continued its tradition. Also, it houses many cultural relics, which adron the monastery and make it more superb More famous attractions in Lhasa please click Lhasa Attractions Potala Palace | HowStuffWorks Potala Palace NEXT PAGENEXT Welcome to the land of what once was. Here in Tibet , the Potala Palace was long the home of the Dalai Lama , a thriving monastery, and the hub of government administration.

Although monks still maintain the shrines, under China 's domination of Tibet, the palace has become a museum, a repository of things past. Yet the Potala Palace remains a wonder of architecture, requiring the skills of 1,500 artists and skilled workers and 7,000 laborers. The exotic structure stands 13 stories high and contains more than 1,000 rooms. Located in Lhasa at 12,000 feet above sea level, the palace is surrounded by transcendent mountains, lakes, and snow that must have helped generate the Tibetans' highly spiritual culture. On top of Marpo Ri, or Red Mountain, stands Potala Palace, the great landmark of Lhasa. Before the Dalai Lama left in 1959, the palace served not only as the leader's home and seat of government, but also as a monastery and fortress. See more pictures of Tibet . Tibet's beliefs developed around the seventh century, when Buddhism arrived and blended with local animistic doctrines.

Today religious pilgrims from all over Tibet come to the Potala Palace, thronging its chapels, admiring its gold and bejeweled treasures, making offerings of yak butter, and prostrating themselves. The palace is divided into two sections. The White Palace, built in the mid-17th century, provided living quarters for the fifth through the fourteenth Dalai Lamas. The latter's apartment remains just as it was in 1959, when he and some 80,000 followers left Tibet and took flight across the Himalayas to India to escape the invading Chinese. From the White Palace, pilgrims climb to the central Red Palace, completed in the late 17th century and packed with chapels, ornate statues, and the gem-embellished tombs of past Dalai Lamas. The fifth Dalai Lama's tomb, made from two tons of gold, stands three stories tall. Tibet's most venerated image, a solid gold statue of Sakyamuni, is housed not far away in Jokhang Temple, the country's holiest shrine.

At the 1,350-year-old temple, monks chant, incense burners waft juniper smoke up toward heaven, and it seems that the world of long ago and far away is still very much with us. Here are links to dozens of other world-famous landmarks: Potala Palace_BudgetTibetTour.com * Address: No.35, Gongqian Alley, Beijing Middle Road, Lhasa, Tibet Autonomrous Region, China * Best visiting time: June - October Located in Lhasa City Autonomous Regions, Potala Palace is famous for its grand buildings, complicated constructions, devotional atmosphere and splendid artworks. It was listed as the world cultural heritage in 1994. With an elevation of over 3,000m, it was built in memory of the wedding of the Tang-Dynasty Princess Wencheng and Tibetan King Songtsan Gambo, and has a history of over 1,300 years. Built against a hill, the magnificent and spectacular Potala Palace is 13-story high to 117meters.

The building measures 400 meters east-west and 350 meters north-south, with sloping stone walls averaging 3 meters thick, and 5 meters thick at the base. Thirteen stories of buildings – containing over 1,000 rooms, 10,000 shrines and about 200,000 statues – soar 117 meters on top of Marpo Ri, the "Red Hill", rising more than 300 meters in total above the valley floor. It is entirely built of granite with flying eaves and gold roof as well as carved beams and painted girders, being an extraordinary sight and the most precious Tibetan religious, artistic and cultural treasury. The first section, known as the upper "Red Palace" served a religious function, housing the living quarters of the Dalai Lama, the gold-plated tombs of eight previous Dalai Lamas, a library containing religious scriptures and numerous temples, chapels and shrines containing thousands of Buddhist sculptures.

The outer section, know as the “White Palace” or “Potrang Karpo” served a political function, incorporating the offices and living quarters of the Tibetan government, a seminary to train future government officials as well as a printing press. The White Palace contains the living quarters of successive Dalai Lamas and their tutors. The offices of the old Tibetan government and their assembly halls are also located here. The original Potala was destroyed in the 9th century, during the breakdown of the Tubo Kingship era. It was rebuilt during the reign of the 5th Dalai Lama and completed in the late 17th century. It became known as the "Winter Palace" by the 1750's, when the 7th Dalai Lama built the Norbulingka Park, as his summer residence. While the inner section knows the “Red Palace” or “Potrang Marpo”, which is served a religious function, housing the living quarters of the Dalai Lama, the gold-plated tombs of eight previous Dalai Lamas, a library containing religious scriptures and numerous temples, chapels and shrines containing thousands of Buddhist sculptures.

It consists of a complicated layout of many different halls, chapels and libraries on many different levels with a complex array of smaller galleries and winding passages. In its interior it has palaces, Buddha halls, sutra studying rooms, resting palaces, stupa halls, courtyards and so on. The whole complex has towers superimposed tier upon tier in their loftiness and imposingness, which embodies the extinct Tibetan architectural characteristic features as well as a certain style of the fusion of the Han and Tibetan cultures. In 1994 it was inscribed in the “World Cultural Heritage List”; and in Nov 2000 and Dec 2001 the Jokhang and Lubu Linka were approved to be included in the “World Heritage List” as expanded items of the Temple of Tibetan Buddhism, Tibet Historic Ensemble of the Potala Palace. Travel Tips: Entrance fee: RMB 100 per person Opening Hours: 09:00 - 16:00 except holidays and major events Visiting Time: Only one hour from May to October Only 2300 tickets are issued each day, 1600 for the travel agents and 700 for individual tourists.

Potala Palace Lhasa, Tibet – Facts, History, Highlights and Tips ———————————— How to Get to Potala Palace Located in the northern of Lhasa, adjacent to Jokhong Temple with 1.6 km and 1.5 km away from Barkhor Street , Potala Palace is mostly chosen for the first attraction of your Tibet Travel, and can be easily transfer from the airport or train station in Lhasa . ● 70 km away from Lhasa Gonggar Airport ● 20 km away from Lhasa Railway Station By connecting many domestic cities, including Chamdo, Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Chongqing, Xian, Guangzhou and more, taking flight to Lhasa Gonggar Airport is the first choice to arrive in Lhasa. With a distance of 70 km from airport to Potala Palace, you can take the airport shuttle bus within one hour. Besides the airline, you can take the Qinghai-Lhasa Railway to the Lhasa Railway Station and take taxi to the Palace. If you book Tibet tour with us, we can arrange the private transfer service and pick you up at the airport or train station.

Potala Palace History Potala Palace’s history can be traced back to about 1,300 years ago since which Potala has been through several large reconstructions. It was originally built in the 7th century when the Tubo Kingdom ruled Tibet to house Srongtsen Gampo and his two wives - Princess Bhrikuti of Nepal and Princess Wencheng of Tang Empire. After the fall of Tubo Kingdom, Potala Palace was almost ruined by constant wars until 17th century when came the most important reconstruction during Potala’s history. His Holiness - the Fifth Dalai Lama decided to rebuild Potala Palace. He received helpful hands from Qing Empire. The constructions took almost many years. At last, the Fifth Dalai Lama moved the government from Drepung Monstery to Potala, which made Potala as the political and Buddhism center of Tibet. Since the Fifth Dalai Lama, several small reconstructions had been conducted by the later Dalai Lamas. The main body of Potala Palace has remained as the same as the past.

Potala Palace Highlights As the symbol of Tibet, Potala Palace has many things worth seeing, the architecture of the entire construction, the splendid well-preserved artworks and various kinds of religious treasures and etc. by sightseeing all those highlights, you can trace back to old days and experience the glory of Tibet history. Tibetan Architecture Potala Palace is one of the most brilliant architectural buildings standing on the precipitous hill. Having a majestic exterior of 13 layers in the total height of 117 meters, the whole palace was built by wood and stones. The walls were piled by granite with a thickness of 2-5 meters. The roof and eaves are made of woods with beautiful carvings about Buddhism. Constructed by the white and red palaces, there are ornate chapels, halls, rooms inside. The palace can be divided to two main parts: the White Palace around and the Red Palace in the center. The White Palace was the living quarters of the Dalai Lama and the office to deal with political and Buddhist affairs. And the Red Palace is the main building for 117 meters, consisting of a complicated layout of different Buddhist halls, chapels and libraries.

Splendid Artworks Inside the majestic Palace is the treassure house of splendid art works. Besides the artistic concentrate of ancient Tibet architecture, Potala Palace is also an art treasure of Tibet. The most outstanding art is the 698 murals on the walls and along the corridors which describe some important events happened during Tibetan history, like Princess Wencheng to Tibet, and lifetime stories of famous Buddhist masters, such as the 5th Dalai Lama. Apart from murals, you can also find a large quantity of exquisite Tangkas, a typical kind of roll of uranium, painting on silk, cloth or paper and framed by color satin, which are mainly telling about the Tibet history events, religious figures and Buddhist doctrines. Besides, there are many kinds of crafts to present the Tibetan local life. Religious Treasures Potala Palace is one of the holiest buildings of Tibetan Buddhism. It is the palace of leader of Tibetan Buddhism – Dalai Lama. During ancient time, Potala opened a Buddhist school to teach Buddhism. More importantly, Potala Palace houses many stupas of past Dalai Lamas.

And in both Red Palace and White Palace, there are lots of precious statues, especially the 2 meters high statue of Tsong Khapa (in East Chapel), a silver statue of Padmasambhava (in South Chapel), and statues of Sakyamuni, Dalai Lamas and Medicine Bduddha (in North Chapel). Integrated into different Buddhist art of Han dynasty, India and Nepal, the sculpture is another precious treasure in the palace, including the clay sculpture, wood carvings, stone inscription and multiple metal statues. Useful Travel Tips of Potala Palace With the tickets of 200RMB (May–October) or 100 RMB(November–April), Potala Palace is allowed less than 2,300 tourists and pilgrims to enter during 9:00-16:00 of each day, excepting Holidays & big event. The ticket purchase should be booked one day beforehand in order to secure entry. Also there is only one hour for visiting the inner of Potala Palace. Remember to bring your ID card or passport when visit.

And more suggestions and travel tips following: ● With the limited visit time, you’d better arrange the time by studying ahead to know what are you going to see most. There are about 30 sites along the relatively fixed visit route and some of them can’t miss out, including Stupa of fifth Dalai Lama, Dharma Cave and Saint Kwun Yum Hall. ● Sitting at 3700 meters above the sea level, you need to climb up from the South Gate to the top of the Potala Palace. The climbing time does not count towards your “1 hour” limit. Along the climb way, make sure to stop and rest a while and drink lots of water. ● Take an overcoat even in summer days, as it is a bit cold and damp in the Palace. Visiting the golden roofs costs an extra fee of 10 RMB. Also taking photos is not allowed inside, except some small halls. ● The toilet at the right side of the White Palace Square, is the only rest room during the route of the rest tour time. The bathroom at the West Gate of the Potala Palace is said to be distinctive and worth a try.

● Since the interior of potala is not allow taking photos, tourists can have a panorama view and shoot the whole Potala Palace through the Chakpori Hill (Yaowang Mountain), over the street of the palace. The Zongjiaolukang Park, located at the right of the palace is another spot to take photo of the inverted reflection of Potala Palace. Besides, if you visit at night, you can stand at the square in front of the palace to take a sparking night scene of Potala Palace. Recommended Tour Packages Escorted by a skilled private drivers and companied by a professional local tour guide to organize all the activities, all you have to do is to enjoy your fantastic Tibet journey. Time can never be wasted waiting for a group, hopping on and off buses or negotiating unfamiliar destinations. Potala Palace | Religion-wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia ** Region as classified by UNESCO. The Potala Palace ( Tibetan : པོ་ཏ་ལ; Wylie : Po ta la; simplified Chinese : 布达拉宫; traditional Chinese : 布達拉宮) is located in Lhasa , Tibet Autonomous Region , China .

It was named after Mount Potala, the abode of Chenresig or Avalokitesvara . [1] The Potala Palace was the chief residence of the Dalai Lama until the 14th Dalai Lama fled to Dharamsala , India , after an invasion and failed uprising in 1959. Today the Potala Palace has been converted into a museum by the Chinese. The building measures 400 metres east-west and 350 metres north-south, with sloping stone walls averaging 3 m. thick, and 5 m. (more than 16 ft) thick at the base, and with copper poured into the foundations to help proof it against earthquakes. [2] Thirteen stories of buildings – containing over 1,000 rooms, 10,000 shrines and about 200,000 statues – soar 117 metres (384 ft) on top of Marpo Ri, the "Red Hill", rising more than 300 m (about 1,000 ft) in total above the valley floor.

[3] Tradition has it that the three main hills of Lhasa represent the "Three Protectors of Tibet." Chokpori , just to the south of the Potala, is the soul-mountain (bla-ri) of Vajrapani , Pongwari that of Manjushri , and Marpori, the hill on which the Potala stands, represents Chenresig or Avalokiteshvara . [4] Contents [ show ] History The former quarters of the Dalai Lama. The figure in the throne represents Tenzin Gyatso , the incumbent Dalai Lama The site was used as a meditation retreat by King Songtsen Gampo , who in 637 built the first palace there in order to greet his bride Princess Wen Cheng of the Tang Dynasty of China. Lozang Gyatso , the Great Fifth Dalai Lama, started the construction of the Potala Palace in 1645 [5] after one of his spiritual advisers, Konchog Chophel (d.

1646), pointed out that the site was ideal as a seat of government, situated as it is between Drepung and Sera monasteries and the old city of Lhasa. [6] The Dalai Lama and his government moved into the Potrang Karpo ('White Palace') in 1649. [6] Construction lasted until 1694, [7] some twelve years after his death. The Potala was used as a winter palace by the Dalai Lama from that time. The Potrang Marpo ('Red Palace') was added between 1690 and 1694. [7] The new palace got its name from a hill on Cape Comorin at the southern tip of India—a rocky point sacred to the bodhisattva of compassion, whom is known as Avalokitesvara , or Chenrezi. The Tibetans themselves rarely speak of the sacred place as the "Potala," but rather as "Peak Potala" (Tse Potala), or usually as "the Peak.

[8] The palace was slightly damaged during the Tibetan uprising against the Chinese in 1959, when Chinese shells were launched into the palace's windows. It also escaped damage during the Cultural Revolution in 1966 through the personal intervention of Zhou Enlai , [9] who was then the Premier of the People's Republic of China but who personally opposed the revolution. Still, almost all of the over 100,000 volumes of scriptures, historical documents and other works of art were either removed, damaged or destroyed. [10] The Potala Palace was inscribed to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1994. In 2000 and 2001, Jokhang Temple and Norbulingka were added to the list as extensions to the sites. Rapid modernisation has been a concern for UNESCO, however, which expressed concern over the building of modern structures immediately around the palace which threaten the palace's unique atmosphere [11] . The Chinese government responded by enacting a rule barring the building of any structure taller than 21 metres in the area.

UNESCO was also concerned over the materials used during the restoration of the palace, which commenced in 2002 at a cost of RMB180 million (US$22.5 million), although the palace's director, Qiangba Gesang, has clarified that only traditional materials and craftsmanship were used. The palace has also received restoration works between 1989 to 1994, costing RMB55 million (US$6.875 million). The number of visitors to the palace was restricted to 1,600 a day, with opening hours reduced to six hours daily to avoid over-crowding from 1 May 2003. The palace was receiving an average of 1,500 a day prior to the introduction of the quota, sometimes peaking to over 5,000 in one day [12] . Visits to the structure's roof was banned after restoration works were completed in 2006 to avoid further structural damage [13] .

Visitorship quotas were raised to 2,300 daily to accommodate a 30% increase in visitorship since the opening of the Qingzang railway into Lhasa on 1 July 2006, but the quota is often reached by mid-morning [14] . Opening hours were extended during the peak period in the months of July to September, where over 6,000 visitors would descend on the site [15] . Architecture Built at an altitude of 3,700 m (12,100 ft), on the side of Marpo Ri ('Red Mountain') in the center of Lhasa Valley, [16] the Potala Palace, with its vast inward-sloping walls broken only in the upper parts by straight rows of many windows, and its flat roofs at various levels, is not unlike a fortress in appearance. At the south base of the rock is a large space enclosed by walls and gates, with great porticos on the inner side. A series of tolerably easy staircases, broken by intervals of gentle ascent, leads to the summit of the rock. The whole width of this is occupied by the palace.

The central part of this group of buildings rises in a vast quadrangular mass above its satellites to a great height, terminating in gilt canopies similar to those on the Jokhang . This central member of Potala is called the "red palace" from its crimson colour, which distinguishes it from the rest. It contains the principal halls and chapels and shrines of past Dalai Lamas. There is in these much rich decorative painting, with jewelled work, carving and other ornament. The Chinese Putuo Zongcheng Temple , built between 1767 and 1771, was modeled after the Potala Palace. The palace was named by the American television show Good Morning America and newspaper USA Today as one of the " New Seven Wonders ". [17] White Palace The White Palace The White Palace or Portrang Karpo is the part of the Potala Palace that makes up the living quarters of the Dalai Lama . The first White Palace was built during the lifetime of the Fifth Dalai Lama and he and his government moved into it in 1649. [6] It then was extended to its size today by the thirteenth Dalai Lama in the early twentieth century.

The palace was for secular uses and contained the living quarters, offices, the seminary and the printing house. A central, yellow-painted courtyard known as a Deyangshar separates the living quarters of the Lama and his monks with the Red Palace, the other side of the sacred Potala, which is completely devoted to religious study and prayer. It contains the sacred gold stupas—the tombs of eight Dalai Lamas—the monks' assembly hall, numerous chapels and shrines, and libraries for the important Buddhist scriptures, the Kangyur in 108 volumes and the Tengyur with 225. The yellow building at the side of the White Palace in the courtyard between the main palaces houses giant banners embroidered with holy symbols which hung across the south face of the Potala during New Year festivals. Red Palace The Red Palace Looking up at the Potala. 1993. The Red Palace or Potrang Marpo is part of the Potala palace that is completely devoted to religious study and Buddhist prayer.

It consists of a complicated layout of many different halls, chapels and libraries on many different levels with a complex array of smaller galleries and winding passages: Great West Hall A Dhvaja on the roof The main central hall of the Red Palace is the Great West Hall which consists of four great chapels that proclaim the glory and power of the builder of the Potala, the Fifth Dalai Lama . The hall is noted for its fine murals reminiscent of Persian miniatures, depicting events in the fifth Dalai Lama's life. The famous scene of his visit to Emperor Shun Zhi in Beijing is located on the east wall outside the entrance. Special cloth from Bhutan wraps the Hall's numerous columns and pillars. The Saint's Chapel On the north side of this hall in the Red Palace is the holiest shrine of the Potala. A large blue and gold inscription over the door was written by the 19th century Tongzhi Emperor of China. proclaiming Buddhism a Blessed Field of Wonderful Fruit. This chapel like the Dharma cave below it dates from the seventh century. It contains a small ancient jewel encrusted statue of Avalokiteshvara and two of his attendants.

On the floor below, a low, dark passage leads into the Dharma Cave where Songsten Gampo is believed to have studied Buddhism . In the holy cave are images of Songsten Gampo, his wives, his chief minister and Sambhota, the scholar who developed Tibetan writing in the company of his many divinities. North Chapel Snow Lions protect the entrance to the Potala Palace The North Chapel centres on a crowned Sakyamuni Buddha on the left and the Fifth Dalai Lama on the right seated on magnificent gold thrones. Their equal height and shared aura implies equal status. On the far left of the chapel is the gold stupa tomb of the Eleventh Dalai Lama who died as a child, with rows of benign Medicine Buddhas who were the heavenly healers. On the right of the chapel are Avalokiteshvara and his historical incarnations including Songsten Gampo and the first four Dalai Lamas. Scriptures covered in silk between wooden covers form a specialized library in a room branching off it. The walls of the Red Palace. South Chapel The South Chapel centres on Padmasambhava , the 8th century Indian magician and saint .

His consort Yeshe Tsogyal , a gift from the King is by his left knee and his other wife from his native land of Swat is by his right. On his left, eight of his holy manifestations meditate with an inturned gaze. On his right, eight wrathful manifestations wield instruments of magic powers to subdue the demons of the Bön faith . East Chapel The East chapel is dedicated to Tsong Khapa , founder of the Gelug tradition. His central figure is surrounded by lamas from Sakya Monastery who had briefly ruled Tibet and formed their own tradition until converted by Tsong Khapa. Other statues are displayed made of various different materials and display noble expressions. West Chapel This is the chapel that contains the five golden stupas . The enormous central stupa, 14.85 metres (49 ft) high, contains the mummified body of the Fifth Dalai Lama. This stupa is built of sandalwood and is remarkably coated in 3,727 kg (8,200 lb) of solid gold and studded with 18,680 pearls and semi-precious jewels.

[18] On the left is the funeral stupa for the Twelfth Dalai Lama and on the right that of the Tenth Dalai Lama. The nearby stupa for the 13th Dalai Lama is 22 metres (72 ft) high. The stupas on both ends contain important scriptures. [3] First Gallery The quiet and peaceful park, pond, and chapel behind the Potala The first gallery is on the floor above the West chapel and has a number of large windows that give light and ventilation to the Great West Hall and its chapels below. Between the windows, superb murals show the Potala's construction is fine detail. Second Gallery The Second Gallery gives access to the central pavilion which is used for visitors to the palace for refreshments and to buy souvenirs. Third Gallery The Third Gallery besides fine murals has a number of dark rooms branching off it containing enormous collections of bronze statues and miniature figures made of copper and gold worth a fortune. The chanting hall of the Seventh Dalai Lama is on the south side and on the east an entrance connects the section to the Saints chapel and the Deyangshar between the two palaces.

Tomb of the Thirteenth Dalai Lama The tomb of the 13th Dalai Lama is located west of the Great West Hall and it can only be reached from an upper floor and with the company of a monk or a guide of the Potala. Built in 1933, the giant stupa contains priceless jewels and one ton of solid gold . It is 14 metres (46 ft) high. Devotional offerings include elephant tusks from India , porcelain lions and vases and a pagoda made from over 200,000 pearls. Elaborate murals in traditional Tibetan styles depict many events of the life of the Thirteenth Dalai Lama during the early 20th century. The Lhasa Zhol Pillar The graceful stone pillar, the Lhasa Zhol rdo-rings or Lhasa Zhol Pillar, originally stood in Zhol Village at the foot of the Potala.

Today the pillar stands neglected to the side of the new Chinese park where Zhol Village used to stand, below the Potala Palace, in Lhasa , Tibet, [19] dates as far back as circa 764 CE, "or only a little later," [20] and is inscribed with what may be the oldest known example of Tibetan writing. [21] The pillar contains dedications to a famous Tibetan general and gives an account of his services to the king including campaigns against China which culminated in the brief capture of the Chinese capital Chang'an (modern Xian ) in 763 CE [22] during which the Tibetans temporarily installed as Emperor a relative of Princess Jincheng Gongzhu (Kim-sheng Kong co), the Chinese wife of Trisong Detsen 's father, Mes-ag-tshoms . [23] [24] See also Mount Putuo Footnotes ↑ Stein, R. A. Tibetan Civilization (1962). Translated into English with minor revisions by the author. 1st English edition by Faber & Faber, London (1972). Reprint: Stanford University Press (1972), p.

84 ↑ Booz, Elisabeth B. (1986). Tibet, pp. 62-63. Passport Books, Hong Kong. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Buckley, Michael and Strausss, Robert. Tibet: a travel survival kit, p. 131. Lonely Planet. South Yarra, Vic., Australia. ISBN 0-908086-88-1 . ↑ Stein, R. A. (1972). Tibetan Civilization, p. 228. Translated by J. E. Stapleton Driver. Stanford University Press, Stanford, California. ISBN 0-8047-0806-1 (cloth); ISBN 0-8047-0901-7 (paper). ↑ Laird, Thomas. (2006). The Story of Tibet: Conversations with the Dalai Lama, pp. 175. Grove Press, New York. ISBN 978-0-8021-1827-1 .

↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Karmay, Samten C. (2005). "The Great Fifth", p. 1. Downloaded as a pdf file on 16 December, 2007 from: [1] ↑ 7.0 7.1 Stein, R. A. Tibetan Civilization (1962). Translated into English with minor revisions by the author. 1st English edition by Faber & Faber, London (1972). Reprint: Stanford University Press (1972), p. 84. ↑ Lowell Thomas, Jr. (1951). Out of this World: Across the Himalayas to Tibet'. Reprint: 1952, p. 181. Macdonald & Co., London ↑ Beckwith (1987), p. 148. References This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica, Eleventh Edition , a publication now in the public domain . Beckwith, Christopher I. (1987). The Tibetan Empire in Central Asia. Princeton University Press. Princeton, New Jersey.

ISBN 0-691-02469-3 . "Reading the Potala." Peter Bishop. In: Sacred Spaces and Powerful Places In Tibetan Culture: A Collection of Essays. (1999) Edited by Toni Huber, pp. 367–388. The Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, Dharamsala, H.P., India. ISBN 81-86470-22-0 . Das, Sarat Chandra. Lhasa and Central Tibet. (1902). Edited by W. W. Rockhill. Reprint: Mehra Offset Press, Delhi (1988), pp. 145–146; 166-169; 262-263 and illustration opposite p. 154. Richardson, Hugh E. (1984) Tibet & Its History. 1st edition 1962. Second Edition, Revised and Updated. Shambhala Publications. Boston ISBN 0-87773-376-7 . Richardson, Hugh E. (1985). A Corpus of Early Tibetan Inscriptions.

Royal Asiatic Society. ISBN 0 94759300/4. Snellgrove, David & Hugh Richardson. (1995). A Cultural History of Tibet. 1st edition 1968. 1995 edition with new material. Shambhala. Boston & London. ISBN 1-57062102-0 . External links The Potala Palace | Asian Art Museum | Education The Potala Palace The Potala Palace. Lhasa, Tibet. Photo by Terese Bartholomew. Resource Type: architecture This is the Potala Palace located in Lhasa. It is perched upon a hill called Marpo Ri, which commands a view of the entire city. This hill was where the kings of Tibet lived beginning with Songtsen Gampo in the seventh century. The Fifth Dalai Lama moved his headquarters here from Drepung Monastery in the mid-seventeenth century, and since that time the Dalai Lamas of Tibet resided there (until the exile in 1959 of the present Dalai Lama). This became both the spiritual and political seat of authority.

After the construction of the Norbulinka summer palace in the late 18th century, the Dalai Lamas split their time between the two palaces, spending winters at the Potala and summers at the Norbulinka. What does Potala mean? Potala derives from the word for the Pure Land or paradise of Avalokiteshvara (the bodhisattva of compassion) which is also “Potala.” The Dalai Lama’s are believed to be manifestations of Avalokiteshvara, so the naming of the Dalai Lama’s palace after that of Avalokiteshvara seems logical. What’s inside? Part palace, part fortress, part treasure-house, part temple, part tomb, part administrative center, it is a titanic building of over 900 feet long, with countless rooms. Over the centuries it became the repository for Tibetan culture. Store rooms were filled with priceless tangkas (religious paintings on silk), vast libraries, religious statues made of precious metals, and endless other things.

1 In 1959, the Chinese invaders tried first to destroy it with bombs, but it is so strongly built, with walls 26 feet thick at the base, that they gave up and instead removed the precious contents and turned it into a headquarters of the army. The red buildings at the center are the Potrang Marpo, the red palace, where religious services took place. The Potala was also the seat of the Tibetan government until the Chinese take-over. Among the many rooms are some impressive throne rooms where the Dalai Lamas would receive official guests. It even houses the stupas , which contain the mummified remains of bodies of the former Dalai Lamas. The Potala has become a symbol of Tibetan nationhood. What was it like to live in this palace as the Dalai Lama? Famous stories about Tenzin Gyatso, the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, tell of his adventures in the Potala. Since his position prevented him from mixing with the people of Lhasa like other boys his age, he explored the city from the roof-top of the Potala by spying on the people below with telescopes and binoculars.

2 He lived in the Potala from the age of 4 in 1939 until the age of 24 in 1959, when he left his country for exile in India. Discussion Points/Teaching Suggestion: Compare The Potala with other great buildings and monuments, such as the pyramids in Egypt, the Vatican, the Forbidden City in Beijing, the US Capitol, PacBell Park, San Francisco City Hall, etc. Discuss the functions of the buildings—are they seats of government? religious institutions? How does the way they are built and decorated convey ideas? Does the building look like it was meant to defend attack or does it look inviting? 1 Hicks, Roger and Ngakpa Chogyam. Great Ocean: An Authorised Biography of the Buddhist Monk Tenzin Gyatso, His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama. Longmead, England: Element Books, Ltd., 1984. A readable biography of this fascinating life with appendices. p. 36. 2 Harrer, Heinrich, Seven Years in Tibet, fifth printing (New York: E.P. Dutton & Co, 1968): p. 185.

Historic Ensemble of the Potala Palace, Lhasa - UNESCO World Heritage Centre Historic Ensemble of the Potala Palace, Lhasa Indicators Historic Ensemble of the Potala Palace, Lhasa The Potala Palace, winter palace of the Dalai Lama since the 7th century, symbolizes Tibetan Buddhism and its central role in the traditional administration of Tibet. The complex, comprising the White and Red Palaces with their ancillary buildings, is built on Red Mountain in the centre of Lhasa Valley, at an altitude of 3,700m. Also founded in the 7th century, the Jokhang Temple Monastery is an exceptional Buddhist religious complex. Norbulingka, the Dalai Lama's former summer palace, constructed in the 18th century, is a masterpiece of Tibetan art. The beauty and originality of the architecture of these three sites, their rich ornamentation and harmonious integration in a striking landscape, add to their historic and religious interest.

Ensemble historique du Palais du Potala, Lhasa Le palais du Potala, palais d'hiver du dalaï-lama depuis le VIIe siècle, symbolise le bouddhisme tibétain et son rôle central dans l'administration traditionnelle au Tibet. Le complexe s'élève sur la Colline rouge au centre de la vallée de Lhasa, à 3 700 m d'altitude. Il comprend le Palais blanc et le Palais rouge, et leurs bâtiments annexes. Fondé également au VIIe siècle, le monastère du Temple de Jokhang est un complexe religieux bouddhiste exceptionnel. Norbulingka, le palais d'été du dalaï-lama, construit au XVIIIe siècle, est un chef d'œuvre de l'art tibétain. La beauté et l'originalité de l'architecture de ces trois sites, leur riche décoration et leur intégration harmonieuse dans un paysage admirable s'ajoutent à leur intérêt historique et religieux.

مجمّع قصر بوتالا التاريخيّ في لاسا يجسّد قصر بوتالا، وهو قصر الدالاي لاما في فصل الشتاء منذ القرن السابع، بوذيّة التيبت ودورها المركزيّ في إدارة التيبت التقليديّة. شُيّد المجمع على الهضبة الحمراء وسط وادي لاسا على ارتفاع 3700 متر. وهو يضمّ القصر الأبيض والقصر الأحمر والمباني الملحقة بهما. كما تأسس في القرن السابع دير معبد جوكانغ وهو مجمّع ديني بوذي استثنائي. ويُشكّل قصر نوربولينغا وهو المقرّ الصيفي للدالاي لاما المشيّد في القرن الثامن عشر، تحفةً من تحف فنّ التيبت.

وإلى هندسة المواقع الثلاثة المبتكرة وإنمّا أيضاً الجميلة وزخرفتها واندماجها في المنظر الرائع، تُضاف أهميّتها التاريخيّة والدينيّة.

source: UNESCO/ERI 布达拉宫自公元7世纪起就成为达赖喇嘛的冬宫，象征着藏传佛教及其在历代行政统治中的中心作用。布达拉宫，坐落在拉萨河谷中心海拔3700米的红色山峰之上，由白宫和红宫及其附属建筑组成。大昭寺也建造于公元7世纪，是一组极具特色的佛教建筑群。建造于公元18世纪罗布林卡，曾经作为达赖喇嘛的夏宫，也是西藏艺术的杰作。这三处遗址的建筑精美绝伦，设计新颖独特，加上丰富多样的装饰以及与自然美景的和谐统一，更增添了其在历史和宗教上的重要价值。 source: UNESCO/ERI Исторический ансамбль дворца Потала в городе Лхаса Дворец Потала, зимняя резиденция Далай-ламы с VII в., является символом тибетского буддизма и свидетелем его главенствующей роли в традиционном управлении Тибетом.

Комплекс, включающий Белый и Красный дворцы с служебными постройками, воздвигнут на Красной Горе в центре долины Лхаса на высоте 3700 м над уровнем моря. Храм и монастырь Джоканг, также основанные в VII в., – выдающийся буддийский религиозный комплекс. Норбулинка, бывший летний дворец Далай-ламы, сооруженный в XVIII в., – подлинный шедевр тибетского искусства. Красота и оригинальность архитектуры этих трех объектов, богатое украшение и гармоничное включение в выразительный ландшафт, дополняют их историческую и религиозную ценность.

source: UNESCO/ERI Conjunto histórico del Palacio del Potala en Lhassa El palacio del Potala, residencia de invierno del Dalai Lama desde el siglo VII, es un sí­mbolo del budismo tibetano y del papel desempeñado por éste en la administración tradicional del Tí­bet. El conjunto palaciego –que se yergue sobre la Montaña Roja, en el centro del valle de Lhasa, a 3.700 metros de altitud– comprende el Palacio Blanco, el Palacio Rojo y sus edificios anejos. Forman también parte del sitio el monasterio del Templo de Jokhang, un excepcional complejo religioso budista construido también en el siglo VII, y el Palacio de Norbulingka, residencia de verano del Dalai Lama construida en el siglo XVIII y obra maestra del arte tibetano.

La belleza y originalidad de la arquitectura de estos monumentos, su rica ornamentación y su armonización con el admirable paisaje circundante, vienen añadirse a su interés histórico y religioso.

source: UNESCO/ERI ラサのポタラ宮歴史地区 チベット自治区ラサ市、チベット仏教の寺院・宮殿。7世紀に成立したチベット初の統一王朝はラサに遷都し、紅山（マルポリ）に王宮を築き、今回、追加登録された大昭寺（ジョカン）を建立した。しかし、9世紀半ばに吐蕃王国が滅亡し、現在のポタラ宮は17世紀にダライ・ラマ5世が建設。谷から110mの山の斜面に13層の高層建築物が建ち、頂上には金殿がある。2001年、郊外に広大な敷地を占める1755年建立の夏の離宮・羅布林（ルオブリンカー）が追加登録された。 The Potala Palace © Sacred sites Outstanding Universal Value Brief synthesis Enclosed within massive walls, gates and turrets built of rammed earth and stone the White and Red Palaces and ancillary buildings of the Potal

a Palace rise from Red Mountain in the centre of Lhasa Valley at an altitude of 3,700 metres.

As the winter palace of the Dalai Lama from the 7th century CE the complex symbolizes Tibetan Buddhism and its central role in the traditional administration of Tibet. The White Palace contains the main ceremonial hall with the throne of the Dalai Lama, and his private rooms and audience hall are on the uppermost level. The palace contains 698 murals, almost 10,000 painted scrolls, numerous sculptures, carpets, canopies, curtains, porcelain, jade, and fine objects of gold and silver, as well as a large collection of sutras and important historical documents. To the west and higher up the mountain the Red Palace contains the gilded burial stupas of past Dalai Lamas. Further west is the private monastery of the Dalai Lama, the Namgyel Dratshang. The Jokhang Temple Monastery was founded by the regime also in the 7th century, in order to promote the Buddhist religion. Covering 2.5ha in the centre of the old town of Lhasa, it comprises an entrance porch, courtyard and Buddhist hall surrounded by accommodation for monks and storehouses on all four sides.

The buildings are constructed of wood and stone and are outstanding examples of the Tibetan Buddhist style, with influences from China, India, and Nepal. They house over 3,000 images of Buddha and other deities and historical figures along with many other treasures and manuscripts. Mural paintings depicting religious and historical scenes cover the walls. Norbulingka, the Dalai Lama's former summer palace constructed in the 18th century, is located on the bank of the Lhasa River about 2km west of the Potala Palace in a lush green environment. It comprises a large garden with four palace complexes and a monastery as well as other halls, and pavilions all integrated into the garden layout to create an exceptional work of art covering 36ha. The property is closely linked with religious and political issues, having been a place for contemplation and for signing political agreements. The Historic Ensemble of the Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple and Norbulingka embody the administrative, religious and symbolic functions of the Tibetan theocratic government through their location, layout and architecture. The beauty and originality of the architecture of these three sites, their rich ornamentation and harmonious integration in a striking landscape, contribute to their Outstanding Universal Value.

Criterion (i): The Historic Ensemble of the Potala Palace is an outstanding work of human imagination and creativity, for its design, its decoration and its harmonious setting within a dramatic landscape. The three-in-one historic ensemble of the Potala Palace, with Potala the palace-fort complex, Norbulingka the garden residence and the Jokhang Temple Monastery the temple architecture, each with its distinctive characteristics, forms an outstanding example of traditional Tibetan architecture. Criterion (iv): The scale and artistic wealth of the Historic Ensemble of the Potala Palace, which represents the apogee of Tibetan architecture, make it an outstanding example of theocratic architecture, of which it was the last surviving example in the modern world. Criterion (vi): The Historic Ensemble of the Potala Palace forms a potent and exceptional symbol of the integration of secular and religious authority. Integrity The Historic Ensemble of the Potala Palace owns tens of thousands of collections of diverse cultural relics. The wall paintings are rich in themes, form the best of Tibetan painting art and precious material evidence for learning Tibetan history and the multi-ethnic cultural fusion.

The historic scale, architectural typology and the historic environment remain intact within the property area and within the buffer zone, carrying the complete historic information of the property. Authenticity In terms of design, material, technology and layout, the historic ensemble of the Potala Palace has well retained its original form and characteristics since it was first built and from successive significant additions and expansions, convincingly testifying to its Outstanding Universal Value. Protection and management requirements The three components of the Historic Ensemble of the Potala Palace, the Potala Palace, Norbulingka and the Jokhang Temple are all State Priority Protected Sites, and protected by the Law on the Protection of Cultural Relies of the People's Republic of China.The Potala Palace was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1994, the Jokhang Temple in 2000 as an extension to the property, and Norbulingka in 2001 as a further extension to the property. The buffer zone of the property has been confirmed as originally demarcated. Any intervention must be approved by the responsible cultural heritage administration, with restoration strictly in accordance with the principle of retaining the historic condition.

The Potala Palace Management Regulations have been put into force; measures are formulated and taken for better visitor management. A World Heritage Steering Committee has been established in Lhasa. The conservation and management plans for the three component parts of the World Heritage property have been formulated and will be submitted and put into force as soon as possible. Notes Extension of "The Potala Palace and the Jokhang Temple Monastery, Lhasa" to include the Norbulingka area. Activities

Question: The Potola Palace is a famous landmark in which Asian city?
Answer: LHASA