Potala

The Potala Palace is a monumental Tibetan Buddhist complex in Lhasa, the capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region in China. The palace sits on Red Mountain, overlooking the Lhasa Valley, and rises about 120 meters above the valley floor at an altitude of roughly 3,700 meters. It is the best-known symbol of Tibetan Buddhism and the historical residence of the Dalai Lamas.

The complex comprises two main sections: the White Palace and the Red Palace. The White Palace housed administrative offices and the Dalai Lamas’ living quarters, while the Red Palace contains chapels, reliquaries, and the most sacred Buddhist imagery, including important ritual spaces and tombs. The structure is said to have about 1,000 rooms and thousands of Buddhist statues and murals, distributed across thirteen stories.

Historically, the present-day Potala Palace was begun in the 1640s under the auspices of the 5th Dalai Lama, Ngawang Lobsang Gyatso, with support from regional power holders and Mongol allies. It functioned as the winter residence of the Dalai Lamas and the central seat of Tibetan government for centuries. After the 1959 Tibetan uprising, the 14th Dalai Lama went into exile, and the palace’s political role diminished, though it remained a major religious and cultural symbol. The site sustained damage during periods of upheaval but has undergone extensive restoration and conservation in recent decades.

Potala Palace was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994 as part of the Historic Centre of Lhasa, recognized for its architectural grandeur, its extensive collections of religious art, and its historical significance as a center of Tibetan governance and spirituality.