Positioned upon the 400-foot high Marpo Ri Hill in the capital city of the Lhasa in the Tibet Autonomous Region, Potala Palace is an impressive attraction dating back to the 7th century.
Marpo Ri Hill has been considered a sacred place since the early 7th century when it was used by Emperor Songtsen Gampo as a meditation retreat. Later in 637, the Emperor built a palace on the hill, which stood until the 17th century when the current structure was built. In 1930 the Dalai Lama had the chapels and assembly halls renovated as well as adding two extra stories.
The palace’s 130,000 square meters of interior space has a plethora of rooms catering to functions, art collections, administration and quarters for the Dalai Lama’s massive staff. There are numerous temples and chapels on the grounds with the Saint’s Chapel being the holiest shrine. The Saint’s Chapel is located on the north side of Potala Palace and has some impressive ancient statues and jewel encrusted Buddha monuments.
Visitors enter the palace from the East Portal and immediately find the Deyang Shar courtyard, which is where the Dalai Lama and guests watch opera. Also near to the East Portal is the White Palace, which is a seven-story structure originally built in 1645 and primarily used in the winter months by the Dalai Lama. The White Palace has been the location for numerous religious and political events held at Potala Palace.
Positioned directly in the middle of the palace and constructed in 1690, the Red Palace represents stateliness and power. Inside the Red Palace are countless cultural relics as well as religious statues and beautifully crafted stupors. The Great Western Hall in the Red Palace is 7,804 square feet and boasts some of the most impressive hand painted murals found in Tibet.
There are several areas and parts of the palace that are dedicated to Tibetan Buddhist figures including Sakyamuni, Medicine Buddha, Buddhas of Three Generations and each of the Dalai Lamas. Visitors to the Potala Palace can enter the grounds from 09:00 until 15:00 every day. There are group tours available or you can peruse the open areas at your own leisure.
Getting There & Away
Being located in the capital city of Tibet, Potala Palace is very easy to reach. There are extensive rail, road and air connections from all across the country and even international destinations. There are frequent flights arriving from major cities within the region including Chengdu, Chongqing, Katmandu and Beijing. Flights to Beijing take around 4 hours. The railway provides an enjoyable and scenic, albeit slow, journey from other parts of China. Long distance buses are also available although not recommended.