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布达拉宫 bù dá lā gōng
If you plan to travel to Tibet, the Potala Palace is a must to go. The Potala Palace stands atop the Maburi Hill northwest of Lhasa City, capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region.
The Potala Palace, winter palace of the Dalai Lamas of various generations, is one of the most famous Chinese palace complexes, and also a rare example of traditional Tibetan architecture. Potala in Sanskrit means the sacred place of Buddhism. Legend has it that in the 7th century, the Tubo King Songtsen Gampo had the Potala Palace built for his wife when he married the Tang Dynasty (618-907) Princess Wencheng. Construction of the present palace began in the second year (1645) of the reign of Shunzhi of the Qing Dynasty (1616-1911), when the fifth Dalai Lama was conferred the title of nobility. Since the reign of the fifth Dalai Lama, it has witnessed many major religious and political activities, and been the center of Tibet’s political and religious administration.
The 13-storeyed Potala Palace, which stands 119 meters high atop the hill, measures 420 meters from east to west and 300 meters from north to south. The Potala Palace has nearly ten thousand rooms, fulfilling numerous functions, such as palace halls, holy stupas, Buddhist halls, Buddhist seminaries, living chambers, balconies, and courtyards. The five palaces are capped with golden roofs and sunk panels, assuming a magnificent view. Against the background of highly erected buildings, the whole building complex presents a grand and imposing manner.
The palace boasts a huge collection of cultural relics, such as plenty of sculptures, frescos, certificates of appointment, seals of authority, gifts, plaques of the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911); statues of Buddha, Tangka (scrolls of Buddhist paintings), Buddhist classics, magical instruments, and sacrificial vessels, etc., among which the holy stupas for the 5th and the 13th Dalai Lamas are the most precious. The 14-meter high stupas are wrapped with gold sheets and inlaid with pearls and gems, demonstrating superb gold and jade inlaying skills.
The Potala Palace is a symbol of Lhasa and the Tibet Autonomous Region. It is inviting for travelers home and abroad.