Potala

Potala Palace is the oldest and highest architectural building in China. It is located at an altitude of more than 3.7 thousand meters above sea level and rising 115 meters up. The palace was set up on the Red Hill of the Tibetan city of Lhas. Translated by Potala means « mystical mountain ».

The first construction of the temple was erected in 637 by King Songzen Gampo at the site of his constant meditations. After the king married Princess Wen Cheng, the territory of the palace was increased to 999 rooms, towers were completed and an artificial canal was dug.

Due to natural disasters and frequent military operations, the temple could not be preserved in its original form. The building that has come to this day was built in the XVII century and is the architectural masterpiece of the Qing dynasty. For its construction, a lot of building material – stone and wood, as well as gold and precious stones, was used.

The entire architectural construction consists of two parts of the – Red and White Palaces. The Red Palace is the center of the architectural complex, and on both sides it is surrounded by the White Palace, associated with two wings and giving architecture a magnificent view. The palace is famous for its wall paintings and many sculptures. From wall paintings you can learn about the traditions and life of Tibetans.

The Red Palace is the highest part of the building, consisting of many halls, chapels and libraries located at various levels. The largest hall of the palace is The Great West Hall. The red pavilion serves to perform religious rituals and pray.

The main components of the White Pavilion are the Great Eastern Pavilion, the Solar Pavilion and many office premises. For many centuries, the Potala Palace was considered a holy place. Nowadays, Potala is a museum visited by pilgrims and ordinary tourists from all over the world, while remaining a sacred place of pilgrimage for Buddhists. It is a religious, historical, political center of Tibetan culture.

Potala provided more than 10 thousand sculptures and paintings, more than 2.4 thousand square meters of frescoes. Collections of books and Buddhist scriptures have been preserved. There are 8 funeral feet designed to preserve the remnants of the Dalai Lama dynasty. All are decorated with gold and jewelry.

On the territory of the palace there are monks who support the palace in perfect condition. Potala Palace is part of the UNESCO World Heritage List.