The Potala Palace [布达拉宫]
Alt. 3767.19m
Tibet, China
May 8, 2007

World Cultural Heritage Site

First constructed by the Tibetan King Srongtsan Gampo [松赞干布] in the 7th century, the Potala Palace had 999 rooms but was much damaged in the many upheavals that resulted from the later power successions. In the year 1642, the 5th Dalai Lama Lobsang Gyatso [五世达赖喇嘛阿旺洛桑嘉措] (1617-1682) controlled the power and ordered the reconstruction of the palace on the Red Hill. After his death, a 13-storied Red Place was added to the center of the Potala to place the golden Stupa Tomb of the 5th Dalai Lama. Today, the Red Palace also houses the Stupa Tombs of the 7th to 13th Dala Lamas. The 6th Dalai Lama Tsangyang Gyatso [六世达赖喇嘛仓央嘉措] (1683-1707) disappeared from the palace and was documented to have died in Qinghai Provice in 1707, despite later claim on witnessing his appearance in Inner Mongolia. The 14th Dalai Lama, on exile in India since 1959, received the Nobel Prize in Peace in 1989.

The Stupa Tombs of the Dalai Lamas vary widely in size and treasure, largely based on their accomplishments. That of the 5th Dalai Lama, the largest of all Stupa Tombs, is 12.6 meters high and 7.65 meters wide. It uses 5954kg of gold. In addition to the body of the Dalai Lama, the tomb also houses precious relic of Sakyamuni [释迦牟尼] as well as a marble taken out of an elephant's head.

The Potala Palace stands 150.703 meters above the ground center of Lhasa and covers an area of 138,025 square meters. The White Palace is another structure in the complex which houses the living chambers of the Dalai Lama and the offices of the former local goverment.

The word Potala means Putuo [普陀] in Chinese, suggesting that it is an abode of Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara [观世音菩萨], of whom the Dalai Lama is believed to be a reincarnation. The Potala Palace is also called the Winter Palace [冬宫] of the Dalai Lama.

with Jibin Qian
overview of the city Lhasa
with Yu
Norbu Lingka [罗布林卡]
The 360,000-square-meter Norbu Lingka in Tibetan means "Treasure Garden" [宝贝园林]. It was once the Summer Palace of the Dalai Lama.

Yan-Bin Jia
jia@cs.iastate.edu