Potala Palace

    Name in Chinese: 布达拉宫 Bù Dá Lā Gōng [bu:da:la:ɡɔ:ŋ]

    Duration of Tour: Two or Three Hours

    Location: No.35, Middle Beijing Road, Chengguan District, Lhasa, China

    Highlights: the History and Culture of Tibet, the Traditional Tibetan Architecture and Art

    Reputations: the Symbol of Tibet, a World Cultural Heritage Site, a National Key Historical and Cultural Relic Site under Protection, a Five-star Scenic Area

    As the landmark of Lhasa, Potala Palace is a huge castle situated on the Red Hill. It was originally built in the seventh century by King Songtsan Gambo(617-650). The king built it for his wife, namely Princess Wencheng(625-680) from the Tang Empire. The castle was reconstructed in 1645 by the Fifth Dalai Lama. Then, Potala Palace became Dalai Lamas’ official residence. The name of the castle, Potala is a Tibetan word translated from Sanskrit, meaning “the holy land of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva. As the largest palatial building on the roof of the world, Potala Palace was added to the list of world cultural heritage sites by UNESCO in 1994.

    The palace is enclosed by three ramparts. Each of the ramparts is 6 meters(20 feet) high, 4.4 meters(14.4 feet) thick at its bottom and 2.8 meters(9.2 feet) on its top. The complex consists of a main building and some outbuildings, covering an area of 36 hectares(89 acres). The main building measures 115 meters(377 feet) in height. It looks like a thirteen-storey construction. However, the exact number of the storeys is nine. The main building is divided into two parts by painting its walls in different colors, namely, “the Red Temple” and “the White Mansion”. The red one is set in the middle. It serves as a religious building in which the relics of Dalai Lamas are deposited. The images of King Songtsan Gambo, Princess Wencheng and Princess Khridzun are also placed in the temple for worship. The white one used to be the place where Dalai Lamas lived and worked. The main building houses a large number of historical curiosities, such as, paintings, books, carvings, furniture, gold and silver wares. All of those items have witnessed the history and development of Tibet. The outbuildings of the castle include a monastery, a garden, a stable, a prison, etc.

    Travel Tips:

    How to Get to Potala Palace

    Potala Palace is located in downtown Lhasa, the capital city of Tibet Autonomous Region. Lhasa Kongga International Airport is located 65 kilometers(40 miles) to the southwest of downtown Lhasa. It takes about one and a half hours to get to the city from the airport by car. Currently, the airport operates flights to 47 domestic cities, such as Chengdu, Xi’an, Chongqing, Xining, Kunming, Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. There is only one international flight operating between Lhasa and Kathmandu(Nepal). Tourists may also travel to Lhasa from Xining or Chengdu by train.

    How to Avoid Acute Mountain Sickness

    The City of Lhasa is at an elevation of some 3,650 meters(12,000 feet) above sea level. Most of the tourist will suffer from the Acute Mountain Sickness(AMS). Tips for you to prevent the AMS include keeping hydrated, avoiding a cold, acclimatizing to altitude gradually, avoiding rapid ascent and strenuous exercise, restraining from smoking and drinking alcohol.

    Weather

    Due to high altitude of Lhasa, you should pack winter clothes before travelling to Lhasa and try to decrease the risk of catching a cold, even in the summer. The high altitude also means that you need to bring sunhats and some suncream for your tour in Lhasa.

    Booking

    Advance booking is necessary. The daily number of visitors to Potala Palace is limited to 2,300. Our professional operators will manage it for you.

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Author: Tina Luo

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