Palace sights in Lhasa
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A
Potala Palace
The magnificent Potala Palace, once the seat of the Tibetan government and the winter residence of the Dalai Lamas, is Lhasa's cardinal landmark. Your first sight of its towering, fortress-like walls is a moment you'll remember for a long time.
An architectural wonder even by modern standards, the palace rises 13 storeys from 130m-high Marpo Ri (Red Hill) and contains more than a thousand rooms. Pilgrims and tourists alike shuffle down through the three storeys, trying to take in the magnificent chapels and prayer halls.
The first recorded use of the site dates from the 7th century AD, when King Songtsen Gampo built a palace here. Construction of the present structure began…
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Throne Room of the White Palace
As you arrive on the roof of the White Palace, head right for the private quarters of the 13th and 14th Dalai Lamas. The first room you come to is the Throne Room of the White Palace , where the Dalai Lamas would receive official guests. The large picture on the left of the throne is of the 13th Dalai Lama; the matching photo of the present Dalai Lama has been removed.
There are some fine murals here, including a depiction of Bodhgaya (where the Buddha achieved enlightenment) and the mythical paradise of Shambhala (by the entry).
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B
New Summer Palace
The New Summer Palace in the centre of the park was built by the present (14th) Dalai Lama between 1954 and 1956 and is the most interesting of the Norbulingka palaces. You can only enter the walled complex from its east side.
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Palace of the Eigth Dalai Lama
This palace was used as a summer palace by the eighth Dalai Lama and by every succeeding Dalai Lama up to the 13th. Only the main audience hall is open; it features 65 hanging thangkas and some lovely painted furniture.
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C
Summer Palace of the 13th Dalai Lama
The Summer Palace of the 13th Dalai Lama is in the western section of the Norbulingka, northwest of the awful zoo.
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