Potala Palace is located on the Red Hill in northwestern part of Lhasa City. Potala Palace is the greatest monumental structure in all of Tibet.
It was built for Princess Wencheng of Tang Dynasty by Songtsen Gambo. Potala Palace became the winter residence of Dalai Lama till 1959. It was also the political and religious dominion center of Tibet. There are countless treasures in Potala Palace and it was praised as an art museum
Potala Palace is made up of the White Palace and the Red Palace.
The Red Palace refers to the buildings with crimson color in the central of Potala Palace. There are principal halls, chapels, and shrines of the past Dalai Lamas. Its inner part is decorated with painting, carving, ornaments and jewelries.
The White Palace refers to the buildings surrounded the Red Palace. The living quarters of the Dalai Lamas, offices, the seminary and printing houses are located in White Palace. There are also numerous shrines and chapels, as well as libraries for the important Buddhism classics and scriptures.
The palace has 13 stories, and is 117 meters high. The 13-story Potala Palace has no elevator. There are three sets of stairways, which are steep and ladder type. Only the Dalai Lama was allowed to use the middle one.
The views from the Potala Palace’s roof and balconies are spectacular. Below lies Lhasa city and, beyond, the valley countryside and distant snow-capped Himalayan mountains.
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