Potala Palace
EasternBuddhistmonasteryCentral Asia637 CE - 1694 CE
Loading map…
Location
Modern Name
Lhasa
Country
China (Tibet)
Region
Central Asia
Coordinates
29.6577, 91.1170
Era
637 CE - 1694 CE
Site Type
Monastery
About
A 13-story, 1,000-room fortress-palace atop Marpo Ri hill in Lhasa, former winter residence of the Dalai Lamas and center of Tibetan Buddhist government.
Significance
The supreme symbol of Tibetan Buddhism and Tibetan cultural identity; enshrines the tombs of eight Dalai Lamas and hosts thousands of rooms of thangkas, scriptures, and ritual objects.
History & Historical Arc
Originally built by King Songtsen Gampo in 637 CE; reconstructed on a monumental scale by the Fifth Dalai Lama in 1645–1…
Archaeological Notes
The Red Palace contains the gilded funerary stupas of the Dalai Lamas; the White Palace served as the government residen…
Key Features & Structures
- Red Palace (religious)
- White Palace (residential)
Visitor Information
Open to tourists with advance ticketing (limited daily quota); altitude 3,700m requires acclimatization. The Dalai Lama …
Related Figures
Fifth Dalai Lama (Ngawang Lobsang Gyatso)Songtsen GampoThirteenth Dalai Lama
In the Bible
Source References
- UNESCO World Heritage List #707
- Goldstein, Melvyn. 'A History of Modern Tibet' (1989)