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{{Short description|Fortress in Lhasa, Tibet}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}
{{Infobox Tibetan Buddhist monastery
{{Infobox Tibetan Buddhist monastery
|name = པོ་ཏ་ལ་ཕོ་བྲང​​ <br /> 布达拉宫 <br /> Potala Palace
|name = Potala Palace
|image =Potala from SW.jpg
|image = Potala - panoramio - Matthew Summerton cropped.jpg
|alt =
|image size = 250px
|caption = The Potala Palace in 2008
|alt =
|pushpin_map = Tibet
|caption = The Potala Palace from the south-east
|coordinates = {{coord|29|39|28|N|91|07|01|E|type:landmark_region:CN|display=inline,title}}
|t=པོ་ཏ་ལ
|map_caption = Location within Tibet Autonomous Region
|w=Po ta la
|location = [[Lhasa (prefecture-level city)|Lhasa, Tibet]], [[China]]
|tc=布達拉宮
|founded_by = [[Songtsen Gampo]]
|s=布达拉宫
|established = {{start date and age|df=yes|1649}}
|p=
|sect =
|pushpin_map = China
<!-- |date_renovated = Modern palace constructed by the [[5th Dalai Lama]] in 1645 <br /> Renovated:1989 to 1994, 2002
|latd = 29 | latm = 39 | lats =28 | latNS = N
|religious_affiliation = [[Tibetan Buddhism]] parameters do nor exist-->
|longd= 91| longm=07 | longs =01| longEW = E
|lineage = [[Dalai Lama]]
|map_caption = Location within China
|dedicated_to =
|mapsize = 250
|head_lama = [[14th Dalai Lama]]
|location_country = China
|colleges =
|location= [[Lhasa]], [[Tibet]], [[China]]
|no._of_monks =
|coordinates_display =
|architecture =
|founded_by =[[Songtsen Gampo]]
|footnotes = {{designation list | embed=yes
|founded = [[637]]
| designation1=WHS
|date_renovated = Modern palace constructed by the [[5th Dalai Lama]] in 1645
| designation1_offname= Historic Ensemble of the Potala Palace, Lhasa
|sect =
| designation1_date = 1994 (18th [[World Heritage Committee|session]])
|lineage=[[Dalai Lama]]
| designation1_type = Cultural
|dedicated_to =
| designation1_criteria = i, iv, vi
|head_lama = [[14th Dalai Lama]]
| designation1_number = [https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/707 707]
|colleges=
| designation1_free1name = Region
|no._of_monks =
| designation1_free1value = [[List of World Heritage Sites in Asia|Asia-Pacific]]
|architecture =
| designation1_free2name = Extensions
|footnotes =
| designation1_free2value = 2000; 2001
}}
}}<!--- End {{designation list}} --->
{{Infobox World Heritage Site
}}<!--- End {{Infobox Tibetan Buddhist monastery}} --->
| WHS = Historic Ensemble of the Potala Palace, Lhasa
The '''Potala Palace''' is a [[Dzong architecture|''dzong'' fortress]] in [[Lhasa (prefecture-level city)|Lhasa]], capital of the [[Tibet Autonomous Region]] in [[China]]. It was the winter palace of the [[Dalai Lama]]s from 1649 to 1959, has been a museum since then, and a [[World Heritage Site]] since 1994.
| Image = [[Image:Potala.jpg|300px|Potala Palace.]]
| State Party = [[PRC|China]]
| Type = Cultural
| Criteria = i, iv, vi
| ID = 707
| Region = [[List of World Heritage Sites in Asia and Australasia|Asia-Pacific]]
| Year = 1994
| Session = 18th
| Extension = 2000; 2001
| Link = http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/707
}}
The '''Potala Palace''' ({{bo|t=པོ་ཏ་ལ|w=Po ta la}}; {{zh-st|s=布达拉宫|t=布達拉宮}}) is located in [[Lhasa]], [[Tibet Autonomous Region]]. It was named after Mount Potala, the abode of [[Chenresig]] or [[Avalokitesvara]].<ref>Stein, R. A. ''Tibetan Civilization'' (1962). Translated into English with minor revisions by the author. 1st English edition by Faber & Faber, London (1972). Reprint: Stanford University Press (1972), p. 84</ref> The Potala Palace was the chief residence of the [[Dalai Lama]] until the [[14th Dalai Lama]] fled to [[Dharamsala]], [[India]], after an invasion and [[Tibetan resistance movement|failed uprising]] in 1959. Today the Potala Palace has been converted into a museum by the Chinese.


The palace is named after [[Mount Potalaka]], the mythical abode of the [[bodhisattva]] [[Avalokiteśvara]].<ref>[[Rolf Stein|Stein, R. A]]. ''Tibetan Civilization'' (1962). Translated into English with minor revisions by the author. 1st English edition by Faber & Faber, London (1972). Reprint: Stanford University Press (1972), p. 84</ref> The [[5th Dalai Lama]] started its construction in 1645<ref name="Laird, Thomas 2006 pp. 175">Laird, Thomas. (2006). ''The Story of Tibet: Conversations with the Dalai Lama'', pp. 175. Grove Press, New York. {{ISBN|978-0-8021-1827-1}}.</ref> after one of his spiritual advisers, Konchog Chophel (died 1646), pointed out that the site was ideal as a seat of government, situated as it is between [[Drepung Monastery|Drepung]] and [[Sera Monastery|Sera]] monasteries and the old city of [[Lhasa]].<ref name="autogenerated1">Karmay, Samten C. (2005). "The Great Fifth", p. 1. Downloaded as a pdf file on 16 December 2007 from: [http://www.iias.nl/nl/39/IIAS_NL39_1213.pdf] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130915182901/http://www.iias.nl/nl/39/IIAS_NL39_1213.pdf|date=15 September 2013}}</ref> It may overlie the remains of an earlier fortress called the White or Red Palace on the site,<ref>[[Tsepon W. D. Shakabpa|W. D. Shakabpa]], ''One hundred thousand moons'', translated with an introduction by [[Derek F. Maher]], Vol.1, BRILL, 2010 p.&nbsp;48</ref> built by [[Songtsen Gampo]] in 637.<ref>Michael Dillon, ''China : a cultural and historical dictionary,'' Routledge, 1998, p.&nbsp;184.</ref>
The building measures 400 metres east-west and 350 metres north-south, with sloping stone walls averaging 3 m. thick, and 5 m. (more than 16 ft) thick at the base, and with copper poured into the foundations to help proof it against earthquakes.<ref>Booz, Elisabeth B. (1986). ''Tibet'', pp. 62-63. Passport Books, Hong Kong.</ref> Thirteen stories of buildings &ndash; containing over 1,000 rooms, 10,000 shrines and about 200,000 statues &ndash; soar 117 metres (384 ft) on top of Marpo Ri, the "Red Hill", rising more than 300 m (about 1,000 ft) in total above the valley floor.<ref name=autogenerated2>Buckley, Michael and Strausss, Robert. ''Tibet: a travel survival kit'', p. 131. Lonely Planet. South Yarra, Vic., Australia. ISBN 0-908086-88-1.</ref> Tradition has it that the three main hills of Lhasa represent the "Three Protectors of Tibet." [[Chokpori]], just to the south of the Potala, is the soul-mountain (''bla-ri'') of [[Vajrapani]], Pongwari that of [[Manjushri]], and Marpori, the hill on which the Potala stands, represents [[Chenresig]] or [[Avalokiteshvara]].<ref>Stein, R. A. (1972). ''Tibetan Civilization'', p. 228. Translated by J. E. Stapleton Driver. Stanford University Press, Stanford, California. ISBN 0-8047-0806-1 (cloth); ISBN 0-8047-0901-7 (paper).</ref>


The building measures {{convert|400|m}} east-west and {{convert|350|m}} north-south, with sloping stone walls averaging {{convert|3|m|ft|0}} thick, and {{convert|5|m}} thick at the base, and with copper poured into the foundations to help proof it against earthquakes.<ref>Booz, Elisabeth B. (1986). ''Tibet'', pp. 62–63. Passport Books, Hong Kong.</ref> Thirteen storeys of buildings, containing over 1,000 rooms, 10,000 shrines and about 200,000 statues, soar {{convert|119|m}} on top of Marpo Ri, the "Red Hill", rising more than {{convert|300|m}} in total above the valley floor.<ref name=autogenerated2>Buckley, Michael and Strausss, Robert. ''Tibet: a travel survival kit'', p. 131. Lonely Planet. South Yarra, Vic., Australia. {{ISBN|0-908086-88-1}}.</ref>
==History==
[[Image:IMG 1206 Lhasa Potala.jpg|thumb|The former quarters of the Dalai Lama. The figure in the throne represents [[Tenzin Gyatso]], the incumbent [[Dalai Lama]]]]
The site was used as a [[meditation]] retreat by King [[Songtsen Gampo]], who in 637 built the first palace there in order to greet his bride [[Princess Wen Cheng]] of the [[Tang Dynasty]] of China.


Tradition has it that the three main hills of [[Lhasa]] represent the "Three Protectors of Tibet". [[Chokpori]], just to the south of the Potala, is the soul-mountain ({{bo|w=bla ri}}) of [[Vajrapani]], Pongwari that of [[Manjusri]], and Marpori, the hill on which the Potala stands, represents [[Avalokiteśvara]].<ref>Stein, R. A. (1972). ''Tibetan Civilization'', p. 228. Translated by J. E. Stapleton Driver. Stanford University Press, Stanford, California. {{ISBN|0-8047-0806-1}} (cloth); {{ISBN|0-8047-0901-7}} (paper).</ref>
[[Lozang Gyatso, 5th Dalai Lama|Lozang Gyatso]], the Great Fifth Dalai Lama, started the construction of the Potala Palace in 1645<ref>Laird, Thomas. (2006). ''The Story of Tibet: Conversations with the Dalai Lama'', pp. 175. Grove Press, New York. ISBN 978-0-8021-1827-1.</ref> after one of his spiritual advisers, Konchog Chophel (d. 1646), pointed out that the site was ideal as a seat of government, situated as it is between [[Drepung]] and [[Sera Monastery|Sera]] monasteries and the old city of Lhasa.<ref name=autogenerated1>Karmay, Samten C. (2005). "The Great Fifth", p. 1. Downloaded as a pdf file on 16 December, 2007 from: [http://www.iias.nl/nl/39/IIAS_NL39_1213.pdf]</ref> The Dalai Lama and his government moved into the Potrang Karpo ('White Palace') in 1649.<ref name=autogenerated1 /> Construction lasted until 1694,<ref name=autogenerated3>Stein, R. A. ''Tibetan Civilization'' (1962). Translated into English with minor revisions by the author. 1st English edition by Faber & Faber, London (1972). Reprint: Stanford University Press (1972), p. 84.</ref> some twelve years after his death. The Potala was used as a winter palace by the Dalai Lama from that time. The Potrang Marpo ('Red Palace') was added between 1690 and 1694.<ref name=autogenerated3 />


== History ==
The new palace got its name from a hill on [[Cape Comorin]] at the southern tip of India—a rocky point sacred to the bodhisattva of compassion, whom is known as [[Avalokitesvara]], or Chenrezi. The Tibetans themselves rarely speak of the sacred place as the "Potala," but rather as "Peak Potala" (''Tse Potala''), or usually as "the Peak.<ref>Lowell Thomas, Jr. (1951). ''Out of this World: Across the Himalayas to Tibet'. Reprint: 1952, p. 181. Macdonald & Co., London</ref>
[[File:The Zhol PIllar in 1949.jpg|thumb|left|The Sertreng ceremony photographed by [[Hugh Edward Richardson]] on 28 April 1949 with the double giant thangka banner on the white front of the palace]]
{{Infobox Chinese
| pic = Potala Palace in Different Languages.png
| piccap = Left to right in consecutive rows top to bottom: Tibetan Uchen and Umey script; Latinized Tibetan / Wylie Latinization of Tibetan script; Lantsa and Devanagari script; Mongol Cyrillic script; traditional Mongol script, traditional Chinese, and simplified Chinese.
| picupright = 0.725
| tib = པོ་ཏ་ལ་ཕོ་བྲང​
| wylie = po ta la pho brang
| mong = ᠪᠦᠲᠠᠯᠠ ᠥᠷᠳᠥᠨ
}}
The site on which the Potala Palace rises is built over a palace erected by [[Songtsen Gampo]] on the Red Hill.<ref>[[Derek F. Maher]] in [[W. D. Shakabpa]], ''One hundred thousand moons'', translated with an introduction by [[Derek F. Maher]], BRILL, 2010, Vol. 1, p.&nbsp;123.</ref> The Potala contains two chapels on its northwest corner that conserve parts of the original building. One is the Phakpa Lhakhang, the other the Chogyel Drupuk, a recessed cavern identified as Songtsen Gampo's meditation cave.<ref>Gyurme Dorje, ''Tibet Handbook: With Bhutan'', Footprint Travel Guides, 1999 pp. 101–3.</ref> [[Lozang Gyatso, 5th Dalai Lama|Lozang Gyatso]], the Great Fifth Dalai Lama, started the construction of the modern Potala Palace in 1645<ref name="Laird, Thomas 2006 pp. 175" /> after one of his spiritual advisers, Konchog Chophel (died 1646), pointed out that the site was ideal as a seat of government, situated as it is between [[Drepung]] and [[Sera Monastery|Sera]] monasteries and the old city of Lhasa.<ref name="autogenerated1" /> The external structure was built in 3 years, while the interior, together with its furnishings, took 45 years to complete.<ref>W. D. Shakabpa, ''One hundred thousand moons'', translated with an introduction by Derek F. Maher BRILL, 2010, Vol.1, pp.&nbsp;48–9.</ref> The Dalai Lama and his government moved into the Potrang Karpo ('White Palace') in 1649.<ref name="autogenerated1" /> Construction lasted until 1694,<ref name="autogenerated3">Stein, R. A. ''Tibetan Civilization'' (1962). Translated into English with minor revisions by the author. 1st English edition by Faber & Faber, London (1972). Reprint: Stanford University Press (1972), p. 84.</ref> some twelve years after his death. The Potala was used as a winter palace by the Dalai Lama from that time. The Potrang Marpo ('Red Palace') was added between 1690 and 1694.<ref name="autogenerated3" />


The new palace got its name from a hill on [[Cape Comorin]] at the southern tip of India—a rocky point sacred to the bodhisattva of compassion, who is known as [[Avalokitesvara]], or Chenrezi. The Tibetans themselves rarely speak of the sacred place as the "Potala", but rather as "Peak Potala" (''Tse Potala''), or most commonly as "the Peak".<ref>Lowell Thomas, Jr. (1951). ''Out of this World: Across the Himalayas to Tibet''. Reprint: 1952, p. 181. Macdonald & Co., London</ref>
The palace was slightly damaged during the Tibetan uprising against the Chinese in 1959, when Chinese shells were launched into the palace's windows. It also escaped damage during the [[Cultural Revolution]] in 1966 through the personal intervention of [[Zhou Enlai]],<ref>http://www.potalarestaurante.com/potala.php</ref> who was then the [[Premier of the People's Republic of China]] but who personally opposed the revolution. Still, almost all of the over 100,000 volumes of scriptures, historical documents and other works of art were either removed, damaged or destroyed.<ref>[http://hrichina.org/public/PDFs/CRF.4.2007/CRF-2007-4_Potala.pdf Decline of Potala] par [[Oser]]</ref>


The Potala Palace was inscribed to the [[UNESCO]] [[World Heritage List]] in 1994. In 2000 and 2001, [[Jokhang Temple]] and [[Norbulingka]] were added to the list as extensions to the sites. Rapid modernisation has been a concern for UNESCO, however, which expressed concern over the building of modern structures immediately around the palace which threaten the palace's unique atmosphere<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6920782.stm BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | Development 'not ruining' Potala<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>. The Chinese government responded by enacting a rule barring the building of any structure taller than 21 metres in the area. UNESCO was also concerned over the materials used during the restoration of the palace, which commenced in 2002 at a cost of RMB180 million (US$22.5 million), although the palace's director, Qiangba Gesang, has clarified that only traditional materials and craftsmanship were used. The palace has also received restoration works between 1989 to 1994, costing RMB55 million (US$6.875 million).
The palace was moderately damaged during the [[1959 Tibetan uprising|Tibetan uprising against the Chinese in 1959]], when Chinese shells were launched into the palace's windows.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Topping |first=Audrey |date=1979-12-09 |title=JOURNEY TO TIBET: HIDDEN SPLENDORS OF AN EXILED DEITY |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1979/12/09/archives/journey-to-tibet-hidden-splendors-of-an-exiled-deity.html |access-date=2023-06-15 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Before Chamdo Jampa Kalden was shot and taken prisoner by soldiers of the [[People's Liberation Army]], he witnessed "Chinese cannon shells began landing on Norbulingka past midnight on 19 March 1959... The sky lit up as the Chinese shells hit the Chakpori Medical College and the Potala."<ref>{{cite book|last1=Aukatsang|first1=Youdon|last2=Aukatsang|first2=Kaydor|author-link2=Kaydor Aukatsang|title=The Lion From Chamdo: Remembering a True Son of Tibet|date=2014|publisher=Mahayana Press|location=New Delhi, India|page=8|language=en}}</ref> It also escaped damage during the [[Cultural Revolution]] in 1966 through the personal intervention of [[Zhou Enlai]],<ref>{{cite web |last1=Larsen |first1=Ingrid |title=Climbing to Great Heights - The Potala Palace |url=https://www.smithsonianjourneys.org/blog/climbing-to-great-heights-the-potala-palace-180951293/ |website=smithsonianjourneys.org |access-date=8 May 2021 |date=28 October 2013 |quote=The Potala was spared at the insistence of Chairman Mao’s comrade, Zhou Enlai, who reportedly deployed his own troops to protect it.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=II. Cultural Relics and Ancient Books and Records Are Well Preserved and Utilized |url=http://www.china.org.cn/e-white/2/2.2.htm |website=Govt. White Papers - china.org.cn |access-date=8 May 2021}}</ref> who was then the [[Premier of the People's Republic of China]]. According to Tibetan historian Tsering Woeser, the palace, which harboured "over 100,000 volumes of scriptures and historical documents" and "many store rooms for housing precious objects, handicrafts, paintings, wall hangings, statues, and ancient armour", "was almost robbed empty".<ref>[[Oser]], [http://www.hrichina.org/sites/default/files/PDFs/CRF.4.2007/CRF-2007-4_Potala.pdf Decline of Potala], 2007</ref>[[File:IMG 1206 Lhasa Potala.jpg|thumb|The former quarters of the Dalai Lama. The figure in the throne represents [[Tenzin Gyatso]], the incumbent [[Dalai Lama]].|left]]The Potala Palace was inscribed to the [[UNESCO]] [[World Heritage List]] in 1994. In 2000 and 2001, [[Jokhang Temple]] and [[Norbulingka]] were added to the list as extensions to the sites. Rapid modernisation has been a concern for UNESCO, however, which expressed concern over the building of modern structures immediately around the palace which threaten the palace's unique atmosphere.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6920782.stm | work=BBC News | title=Development 'not ruining' Potala | date=28 July 2007 | access-date=22 May 2010}}</ref> The Chinese government responded by enacting a rule barring the building of any structure taller than 21 metres in the area. UNESCO was also concerned over the materials used during the restoration of the palace, which commenced in 2002 at a cost of RMB180 million (US$22.5 million), although the palace's director, Qiangba Gesang, has clarified that only traditional materials and craftsmanship were used. The palace has also received restoration works between 1989 and 1994, costing RMB55 million (US$6.875 million).


The number of visitors to the palace was restricted to 1,600 a day, with opening hours reduced to six hours daily to avoid over-crowding from 1 May 2003. The palace was receiving an average of 1,500 a day prior to the introduction of the quota, sometimes peaking to over 5,000 in one day<ref>[http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/en/doc/2003-08/15/content_255095.htm Tourist entry restriction protects Potala Palace<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>. Visits to the structure's roof was banned after restoration works were completed in 2006 to avoid further structural damage<ref>[http://english.gov.cn/2005-11/04/content_91537.htm Potala Palace bans roof tour<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>. Visitorship quotas were raised to 2,300 daily to accommodate a 30% increase in visitorship since the opening of the [[Qingzang railway]] into Lhasa on 1 July 2006, but the quota is often reached by mid-morning<ref>[http://english.gov.cn/2006-07/28/content_348907.htm Tibet's Potala Palace to restrict visitors to 2,300 a day<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>. Opening hours were extended during the peak period in the months of July to September, where over 6,000 visitors would descend on the site<ref>[http://www.china-embassy.org/eng/gyzg/t316250.htm Tibet bans price rises at all tourist sites(05/04/07)<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>.
The number of visitors to the palace was restricted to 1,600 a day, with opening hours reduced to six hours daily to avoid over-crowding from 1 May 2003. The palace was receiving an average of 1,500 a day prior to the introduction of the quota, sometimes peaking to over 5,000 in one day.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/en/doc/2003-08/15/content_255095.htm|title=Tourist entry restriction protects Potala Palace<!-- Bot generated title -->|work=chinadaily.com.cn}}</ref> Visits to the structure's roof were banned after restoration efforts were completed in 2006 to avoid further structural damage.<ref>[http://english.gov.cn/2005-11/04/content_91537.htm Potala Palace bans roof tour<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070526082726/http://english.gov.cn/2005-11/04/content_91537.htm |date=26 May 2007 }}</ref> Visitorship quotas were raised to 2,300 daily to accommodate a 30% increase in visitorship since the opening of the [[Qingzang railway]] into Lhasa on 1 July 2006, but the quota is often reached by mid-morning.<ref>[http://english.gov.cn/2006-07/28/content_348907.htm Tibet's Potala Palace to restrict visitors to 2,300 a day<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070520101551/http://english.gov.cn/2006-07/28/content_348907.htm |date=20 May 2007 }}</ref> Opening hours were extended during the peak period in the months of July to September, where over 6,000 visitors would descend on the site.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.china-embassy.org/eng/gyzg/t316250.htm|title=Tibet bans price rises at all tourist sites(05/04/07)|work=china-embassy.org}}</ref>


In February 2022, Tibetan pop star [[Tsewang Norbu]] set himself on fire in front of the Potala Palace and died. The [[Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China|Foreign Ministry of China]] has disputed this.<ref name="Economist">{{cite web|title=Deciphering a Tibetan Pop Star's Self-immolation |url=https://www.economist.com/china/2022/04/02/deciphering-a-tibetan-pop-stars-self-immolation |website=economist.com |date=2 April 2022 |access-date=6 April 2022}}</ref>
==Architecture==
[[Image:Potala from W.jpg|thumb]]
Built at an altitude of 3,700 m (12,100 ft), on the side of Marpo Ri ('Red Mountain') in the center of Lhasa Valley,<ref>Stein, R. A. ''Tibetan Civilization'' (1962). Translated into English with minor revisions by the author. 1st English edition by Faber & Faber, London (1972). Reprint: Stanford University Press (1972), p. 206</ref> the Potala Palace, with its vast inward-sloping walls broken only in the upper parts by straight rows of many windows, and its flat roofs at various levels, is not unlike a fortress in appearance. At the south base of the rock is a large space enclosed by walls and gates, with great [[portico]]s on the inner side. A series of tolerably easy staircases, broken by intervals of gentle ascent, leads to the summit of the rock. The whole width of this is occupied by the palace.


== Architecture ==
The central part of this group of buildings rises in a vast quadrangular mass above its satellites to a great height, terminating in gilt canopies similar to those on the [[Jokhang]]. This central member of Potala is called the "red palace" from its crimson colour, which distinguishes it from the rest. It contains the principal halls and chapels and shrines of past Dalai Lamas. There is in these much rich decorative painting, with jewelled work, carving and other ornament.
[[File:Lhasa Potala.jpg|thumb|Architecture of the Potala Palace]]
Built at an altitude of 3,700&nbsp;m (12,100&nbsp;ft), on the side of Ri Marpo ('Red Mountain') in the centre of Lhasa Valley,<ref>Stein, R. A. ''Tibetan Civilization'' (1962). Translated into English with minor revisions by the author. 1st English edition by Faber & Faber, London (1972). Reprint: Stanford University Press (1972), p. 206</ref> the Potala Palace, with its vast inward-sloping walls broken only in the upper parts by straight rows of many windows, and its flat roofs at various levels, is not unlike a fortress in appearance. At the south base of the rock is a large space enclosed by walls and gates, with great [[portico]]s on the inner side. A series of tolerably easy staircases, broken by intervals of gentle ascent, leads to the summit of the rock. The whole width of this is occupied by the palace.{{Citation needed|date=July 2023}}


The central part of this group of buildings rises in a vast quadrangular mass above its satellites to a great height, terminating in gilt canopies similar to those on the [[Jokhang]]. This central member of Potala is called the "red palace" from its crimson colour, which distinguishes it from the rest. It contains the principal halls and chapels and shrines of past Dalai Lamas. There is in these much rich decorative painting, with jewelled work, carving and other ornamentation.
The Chinese [[Putuo Zongcheng Temple]], built between 1767 and 1771, was modeled after the Potala Palace. The palace was named by the American television show ''[[Good Morning America]]'' and newspaper ''[[USA Today]]'' as one of the "[[Seven Wonders of the World#New Seven Wonders|New Seven Wonders]]".<ref>[http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/7Wonders/ ABC Good Morning America "7 New Wonders" Page]</ref>


The lower white frontage on the south side of the palace was used to hoist two gigantic thangkas joined representing the figures of [[Tara (Buddhism)|Tara]] and [[Sakyamuni]] during the Sertreng Festival on the 30th day of the second Tibetan month.<ref>[http://web.prm.ox.ac.uk/tibet/glossary.php.html Sertreng].</ref><ref>[http://web.prm.ox.ac.uk/tibet/photo_BMR.6.8.5.html The Potala taken from the south].</ref>
== White Palace ==
[[Image:White Palace of the Potala.jpg|thumb|right|The White Palace]]
The White Palace or ''Portrang Karpo'' is the part of the Potala Palace that makes up the living quarters of the [[Dalai Lama]]. The first White Palace was built during the lifetime of the [[Fifth Dalai Lama]] and he and his government moved into it in 1649.<ref name="autogenerated1"/> It then was extended to its size today by the [[thirteenth Dalai Lama]] in the early twentieth century. The palace was for secular uses and contained the living quarters, offices, the seminary and the printing house. A central, yellow-painted courtyard known as a ''Deyangshar'' separates the living quarters of the Lama and his monks with the Red Palace, the other side of the sacred Potala, which is completely devoted to religious study and prayer. It contains the sacred gold stupas&mdash;the tombs of eight Dalai Lamas&mdash;the monks' assembly hall, numerous chapels and shrines, and libraries for the important [[Buddhist]] scriptures, the [[Kangyur]] in 108 volumes and the [[Tengyur]] with 225. The yellow building at the side of the White Palace in the courtyard between the main palaces houses giant banners embroidered with holy symbols which hung across the south face of the Potala during New Year festivals.


The Chinese [[Putuo Zongcheng Temple]], also a [[UNESCO]] [[World Heritage Site]], built between 1767 and 1771, was in part modelled after the Potala Palace. The palace was named by the American television show ''[[Good Morning America]]'' and newspaper ''[[USA Today]]'' as one of the "[[Seven Wonders of the World#New Seven Wonders|New Seven Wonders]]".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/7Wonders/|title=ABC Good Morning America "7 New Wonders" Page|work=Yahoo}}</ref>
== Red Palace ==
[[Image:Potala through foilage.jpg|thumb|left|The Red Palace]]
The Red Palace or ''Potrang Marpo'' is part of the Potala palace that is completely devoted to religious study and [[Buddhist]] prayer. It consists of a complicated layout of many different halls, chapels and libraries on many different levels with a complex array of smaller galleries and winding passages:


The nine-storey [[Leh Palace]] in [[Leh, Ladakh]], India built by King [[Sengge Namgyal]] (c. 1570–1642), was a precursor of the Potala Palace.
=== Great West Hall ===
[[Image:Dhvaja-PotalaV40%.jpg|thumb|right|upright|A [[Dhvaja]] on the roof]]
The main central hall of the Red Palace is the Great West Hall which consists of four great chapels that proclaim the glory and power of the builder of the Potala, the [[Fifth Dalai Lama]]. The hall is noted for its fine [[murals]] reminiscent of Persian miniatures, depicting events in the fifth Dalai Lama's life. The famous scene of his visit to [[Emperor]] [[Shun Zhi]] in [[Beijing]] is located on the east wall outside the entrance. Special cloth from [[Bhutan]] wraps the Hall's numerous columns and pillars.


===The Saint's Chapel===
== The Lhasa Zhol Pillars ==
[[File:Lhasa Zhol Rdo-rings 1993.JPG|thumb|[[Lhasa Zhol Pillar]] in 1993]]
On the north side of this hall in the Red Palace is the holiest [[shrine]] of the Potala. A large blue and gold inscription over the door was written by the 19th century [[Tongzhi Emperor]] of China. proclaiming [[Buddhism]] a ''Blessed Field of Wonderful Fruit''. This chapel like the Dharma cave below it dates from the seventh century. It contains a small ancient [[Gemstone|jewel]] encrusted statue of [[Avalokiteshvara]] and two of his attendants. On the floor below, a low, dark passage leads into the Dharma Cave where [[Songsten Gampo]] is believed to have studied [[Buddhism]]. In the holy cave are images of Songsten Gampo, his wives, his chief minister and Sambhota, the scholar who developed Tibetan writing in the company of his many divinities.
Lhasa Zhol Village has two stone pillars or ''rdo-rings'', an interior stone pillar or ''doring nangma'', which stands within the village fortification walls, and the exterior stone pillar or ''doring chima'',<ref>Larsen and Sinding-Larsen (2001), p. 78.</ref> which originally stood outside the South entrance to the village. Today the pillar stands neglected to the East of the Liberation Square, on the South side of Beijing Avenue.


The ''doring chima'' dates as far back as circa 764, "or only a little later",<ref>Richardson (1985), p. 2.</ref> and is inscribed with what may be the oldest known example of Tibetan writing.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.blackwellreference.com/public/tocnode?id=g9780631214816_chunk_g978063121481622_ss1-17|title=Tibetan writing|last=Coulmas|first=Florian|year=1999|publisher=Blackwell Reference Online|access-date=2009-10-20|archive-date=16 July 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716031534/http://www.blackwellreference.com/public/tocnode?id=g9780631214816_chunk_g978063121481622_ss1-17|url-status=dead}}</ref>
=== North Chapel ===
[[Image:Snow Lions protect the entrance to the Potala Pallace.jpg|thumb|right|upright|Snow Lions protect the entrance to the Potala Palace]]
The North Chapel centres on a crowned [[Sakyamuni]] Buddha on the left and the Fifth Dalai Lama on the right seated on magnificent gold thrones. Their equal height and shared aura implies equal status. On the far left of the chapel is the [[gold]] [[stupa]] tomb of the Eleventh [[Dalai Lama]] who died as a child, with rows of benign Medicine Buddhas who were the heavenly healers. On the right of the chapel are [[Avalokiteshvara]] and his historical incarnations including [[Songsten Gampo]] and the first four Dalai Lamas. Scriptures covered in silk between wooden covers form a specialized library in a room branching off it.


The pillar contains dedications to a famous Tibetan general and gives an account of his services to the king including campaigns against China which culminated in the brief capture of the Chinese capital [[Chang'an]] (modern [[Xi'an]]) in 763<ref>Snellgrove and Richardson (1995), p. 91.</ref> during which the Tibetans temporarily installed as Emperor a relative of Princess Jincheng Gongzhu (Kim-sheng Kong), the Chinese wife of [[Trisong Detsen]]'s father, [[Me Agtsom]].<ref>Richardson (1984), p. 30.</ref><ref>Beckwith (1987), p. 148.</ref>
[[Image:Potala 2.jpg|thumb|left|upright|The walls of the Red Palace.]]


==Gallery==
=== South Chapel ===
<gallery>
The South Chapel centres on [[Padmasambhava]], the 8th century Indian [[Magician (paranormal)|magician]] and [[saint]]. His consort [[Yeshe Tsogyal]], a gift from the King is by his left knee and his other wife from his native land of [[State of Swat|Swat]] is by his right. On his left, eight of his holy [[manifestations]] [[meditate]] with an inturned gaze. On his right, eight wrathful [[manifestations]] wield instruments of magic powers to subdue the [[demons]] of the [[Bön]] [[faith]].
File:Potala Palace (23651397662).jpg|View showing recent Western Gate shops, highway, 2015
File:Potala-from-behind 07-2005.jpg|View of the Potala from behind, seen from Ching Drol Chi Ling
File:Potala Palace HQ.jpg|alt=|Potala Palace with Lhasa in the foreground
File:The quiet and peaceful park, pond, and chapel behind the Potala.jpg|The park, pond, and chapel behind the Potala
File:Deatail of decoration in Potala.jpg|Detail of decoration in Potala
File:Mendicant monk. Lhasa 1993.jpg|[[Mendicant]] monk at base of Potala, 1993
</gallery>


=== East Chapel ===
== See also ==
*[[Patala]], Patala/Potala
The East chapel is dedicated to [[Tsong Khapa]], founder of the [[Gelug]] tradition. His central figure is surrounded by lamas from [[Sakya Monastery]] who had briefly ruled [[Tibet]] and formed their own tradition until converted by Tsong Khapa. Other statues are displayed made of various different materials and display noble expressions.

=== West Chapel ===
This is the chapel that contains the five golden [[stupas]]. The enormous central stupa, 14.85 metres (49 ft) high, contains the mummified body of the Fifth Dalai Lama. This stupa is built of sandalwood and is remarkably coated in 3,727 kg (8,200 lb) of solid gold and studded with 18,680 pearls and semi-precious jewels.<ref>[http://www.china.org.cn/english/TR-e/43058.htm Chorten of the fifth Dalai Lama in the Potala Palace in Lhasa of Tibet Autonomous Region<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> On the left is the funeral stupa for the Twelfth [[Dalai Lama]] and on the right that of the Tenth Dalai Lama. The nearby stupa for the 13th Dalai Lama is 22 metres (72 ft) high. The stupas on both ends contain important scriptures.<ref name=autogenerated2 />

=== First Gallery ===
[[Image:The quiet and peaceful park, pond, and chapel behind the Potala.jpg|thumb|right|The quiet and peaceful park, pond, and chapel behind the Potala]]
The first gallery is on the floor above the West chapel and has a number of large windows that give light and ventilation to the Great West Hall and its chapels below. Between the windows, superb [[murals]] show the Potala's construction is fine detail.

=== Second Gallery ===
The Second Gallery gives access to the central pavilion which is used for visitors to the palace for refreshments and to buy souvenirs.

=== Third Gallery ===
The Third Gallery besides fine murals has a number of dark rooms branching off it containing enormous collections of [[bronze]] statues and miniature figures made of copper and gold worth a fortune. The chanting hall of the [[Seventh Dalai Lama]] is on the south side and on the east an entrance connects the section to the Saints chapel and the [[Deyangshar]] between the two palaces.

[[Image:Potala-from-behind 07-2005.jpg|left|thumb]]
=== Tomb of the Thirteenth Dalai Lama ===
The tomb of the [[13th Dalai Lama]] is located west of the Great West Hall and it can only be reached from an upper floor and with the company of a [[monk]] or a guide of the Potala. Built in 1933, the giant [[stupa]] contains priceless jewels and one ton of solid [[gold]]. It is 14 metres (46 ft) high. Devotional offerings include [[elephant]] [[tusks]] from [[India]], [[porcelain]] lions and vases and a [[pagoda]] made from over 200,000 pearls. Elaborate [[murals]] in traditional Tibetan styles depict many events of the life of the [[Thirteenth Dalai Lama]] during the early 20th century.
[[Image:View of Potala from side.jpg|thumb|View of the Potala from the side]]
[[Image:The rooftop of the Potala.jpg|thumb|right|upright|The rooftop of the Potala]]
[[Image:Mendicant monk. Lhasa 1993.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Mendicant]] monk at base of Potala, 1993]]

==See also==
*[[Norbulingka]], the Dalai Lama's former summer palace
*[[Norbulingka]], the Dalai Lama's former summer palace
*[[Jokhang Temple Monastery]]
*[[Jokhang Temple Monastery]]
Line 123: Line 100:
*''[[Seven Years in Tibet]]''
*''[[Seven Years in Tibet]]''
*[[Leh Palace]]
*[[Leh Palace]]
*[[Lhasa Mass Art Museum]]
*[[Mount Putuo]]
*[[Mount Putuo]]
*[[List of tallest structures built before the 20th century]]


==Footnotes==
== Footnotes ==
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist|colwidth=35em}}


==References==
== References ==
*{{EB1911|wstitle=Lhasa|volume=16|pages=529–532}} (See p.&nbsp;530.)
* [[Beckwith, Christopher I.]] (1987). ''The Tibetan Empire in Central Asia''. Princeton University Press. Princeton, New Jersey. {{ISBN|0-691-02469-3}}.
* "Reading the Potala". Peter Bishop. In: ''Sacred Spaces and Powerful Places in Tibetan Culture: A Collection of Essays''. (1999) Edited by Toni Huber, pp.&nbsp;367–388. The Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, Dharamsala, H.P., India. {{ISBN|81-86470-22-0}}.
* Das, Sarat Chandra. ''Lhasa and Central Tibet''. (1902). Edited by W. W. Rockhill. Reprint: Mehra Offset Press, Delhi (1988), pp.&nbsp;145–146; 166–169; 262–263 and illustration opposite p.&nbsp;154.
* Larsen and Sinding-Larsen (2001). ''The Lhasa Atlas: Traditional Tibetan Architecture and Landscape'', Knud Larsen and Amund Sinding-Larsen. Shambhala Books, Boston. {{ISBN|1-57062-867-X}}.
* [[Richardson, Hugh E.]] (1984) ''Tibet & Its History''. 1st edition 1962. Second Edition, Revised and Updated. Shambhala Publications. Boston {{ISBN|0-87773-376-7}}.
* Richardson, Hugh E. (1985). ''A Corpus of Early Tibetan Inscriptions''. Royal Asiatic Society. {{ISBN|0-94759300-4}}.
* Snellgrove, David & Hugh Richardson. (1995). ''A Cultural History of Tibet''. 1st edition 1968. 1995 edition with new material. Shambhala. Boston & London. {{ISBN|1-57062-102-0}}.
* von Schroeder, Ulrich. (1981). ''Indo-Tibetan Bronzes''. (608 pages, 1244 illustrations). Hong Kong: Visual Dharma Publications Ltd. {{ISBN|962-7049-01-8}}
* von Schroeder, Ulrich. (2001). ''Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet''. Vol. One: ''India & Nepal''; Vol. Two: ''Tibet & China''. (Volume One: 655 pages with 766 illustrations; Volume Two: 675 pages with 987 illustrations). Hong Kong: Visual Dharma Publications, Ltd. {{ISBN|962-7049-07-7}}
* von Schroeder, Ulrich. 2008. ''108 Buddhist Statues in Tibet''. (212 p., 112 colour illustrations) (DVD with 527 digital photographs). Chicago: Serindia Publications. {{ISBN|962-7049-08-5}}


== External links ==
*{{1911}}
{{Commons category|Potala Palace}}
* "Reading the Potala." Peter Bishop. In: ''Sacred Spaces and Powerful Places In Tibetan Culture: A Collection of Essays''. (1999) Edited by Toni Huber, pp. 367–388. The Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, Dharamsala, H.P., India. ISBN 81-86470-22-0.
* {{Official website}}
* Das, Sarat Chandra. ''Lhasa and Central Tibet''. (1902). Edited by W. W. Rockhill. Reprint: Mehra Offset Press, Delhi (1988), pp. 145–146; 166-169; 262-263 and illustration opposite p. 154.
* [https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/707 Potala Palace] at [[UNESCO|UNESCO.org]]

*[https://treasuryoflives.org/institution/Potala Potala Palace] with related biographies, art, and timelines (The Treasury of Lives)
==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080518185033/http://www.thdl.org/xml/show.php?xml=collections%2Fhistory%2Fhsct%2Fsites%2Fhsctregions.xml&div=hsct5702&m=hp Potala] (Tibetan and Himalayan Digital Library)
{{commonscat-inline}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070716074430/http://www.chibs.edu.tw/publication/chbs/10/chbs1011.htm#nf28 Research work on possible relation with Potala, Malaya Mountains and South India]
*{{wikitravel}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070224150028/http://www.thdl.org/texts/reprints/kailash/kailash_07_01_01.pdf Research work on Buddhism in India]
* [http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/707 Potala Palace] (Unesco)
* [https://maps.google.com/maps?t=k&ie=UTF8&ll=29.656806,91.117773&spn=0.004065,0.006791&z=17 Google Maps location of Potala Palace]
* [http://www.thdl.org/xml/show.php?xml=collections/history/hsct/sites/hsctregions.xml&div=hsct5702&m=hp Potala] (Tibetan and Himalayan Digital Library)
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110816074748/http://www.sight3d.com/sights/Potala-Palace Three-dimensional rendering of Potala Palace] {{in lang|en|es|de}}
* [http://www.chibs.edu.tw/publication/chbs/10/chbs1011.htm#nf28 - Research work on possible relation with Potala, Malaya Mountains and South India]
* {{Osmway |176772035}}
* [http://www.thdl.org/texts/reprints/kailash/kailash_07_01_01.pdf - Research work on Buddhism in India]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20170721080353/http://www.ancientpotalapalace.com/ The Potala palace] (archived)
* [http://www.tripfilms.com/Travel_Video-v62841-Lhasa-Potala_Tour-Video.html Travel Video about Potala Palace]
* [https://www.tibettravelexpert.com/attraction/lhasa/potala-palace/ Potala Palace Tour] in Tibet is one of the most prominent attractions to be visited not only by the tourists from all around the world but even to the native Tibetans and the Potala Place had been list in UNESCO's World Heritage in 1994.

* [http://maps.google.com/maps?t=k&ie=UTF8&ll=29.656806,91.117773&spn=0.004065,0.006791&z=17 Google Earth location of Potala Palace]


{{Buddhism topics}}
{{Dalai Lamas}}
{{TibetanBuddhism}}
{{Lhasa}}
{{Dzongs of Tibet}}
{{World Heritage Sites in China}}
{{World Heritage Sites in China}}
{{Lhasa Prefecture}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:Buddhist buildings in Tibet]]
{{Buddhism topics}}
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Lhasa]]

[[Category:Dzongs in Tibet]]
{{coord|29|39|28|N|91|07|01|E|region:CN_type:landmark|display=title}}
[[Category:Palaces in Tibet]]

[[Category:Royal residences in Tibet]]
[[Category:Buddhist pilgrimage sites in China]]
[[Category:Houses completed in 1694]]
[[Category:1640s establishments in Tibet]]
[[Category:World Heritage Sites in Tibet]]
[[Category:World Heritage Sites in Tibet]]
[[Category:Royal residences in Tibet]]
[[Category:1694 establishments in Asia]]
[[Category:Palaces in Tibet]]
[[Category:Major National Historical and Cultural Sites in Tibet]]
[[Category:Buddhist pilgrimage]]
[[Category:History of Lhasa]]
[[Category:Buddhist temples in Tibet]]
[[Category:Lhasa]]
[[Category:17th-century architecture]]
[[Category:1694 architecture]]

[[bn:পোতালা প্রাসাদ]]
[[bo:པོ་ཏ་ལ།]]
[[ca:Palau de Potala]]
[[cs:Palác Potála]]
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[[eo:Palaco Potala]]
[[eu:Potala jauregia]]
[[fa:قصر پوتالا]]
[[fr:Palais du Potala]]
[[gl:Potala]]
[[ko:포탈라궁]]
[[id:Istana Potala]]
[[it:Palazzo del Potala]]
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[[ja:ポタラ宮]]
[[no:Potalapalasset]]
[[oc:Palais de Potala]]
[[pl:Pałac Potala]]
[[pt:Palácio de Potala]]
[[ru:Потала]]
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[[sv:Potalapalatset]]
[[tl:Palasyo ng Potala]]
[[th:พระราชวังโปตาลา]]
[[uk:Потала (храм)]]
[[vi:Cung điện Potala]]
[[zh:布达拉宫]]

Latest revision as of 07:11, 22 December 2024

པོ་ཏ་ལ་ཕོ་བྲང​​
布达拉宫
Potala Palace
The Potala Palace in 2008
Religion
AffiliationTibetan Buddhism
Leadership14th Dalai Lama
Location
LocationLhasa, Tibet, China
Potala Palace is located in Tibet
Potala Palace
Location within Tibet Autonomous Region
Geographic coordinates29°39′28″N 91°07′01″E / 29.65778°N 91.11694°E / 29.65778; 91.11694
Architecture
FounderSongtsen Gampo
Date established1649; 376 years ago (1649)
Official nameHistoric Ensemble of the Potala Palace, Lhasa
TypeCultural
Criteriai, iv, vi
Designated1994 (18th session)
Reference no.707
RegionAsia-Pacific
Extensions2000; 2001

The Potala Palace is a dzong fortress in Lhasa, capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region in China. It was the winter palace of the Dalai Lamas from 1649 to 1959, has been a museum since then, and a World Heritage Site since 1994.

The palace is named after Mount Potalaka, the mythical abode of the bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara.[1] The 5th Dalai Lama started its construction in 1645[2] after one of his spiritual advisers, Konchog Chophel (died 1646), pointed out that the site was ideal as a seat of government, situated as it is between Drepung and Sera monasteries and the old city of Lhasa.[3] It may overlie the remains of an earlier fortress called the White or Red Palace on the site,[4] built by Songtsen Gampo in 637.[5]

The building measures 400 metres (1,300 ft) east-west and 350 metres (1,150 ft) north-south, with sloping stone walls averaging 3 metres (10 ft) thick, and 5 metres (16 ft) thick at the base, and with copper poured into the foundations to help proof it against earthquakes.[6] Thirteen storeys of buildings, containing over 1,000 rooms, 10,000 shrines and about 200,000 statues, soar 119 metres (390 ft) on top of Marpo Ri, the "Red Hill", rising more than 300 metres (980 ft) in total above the valley floor.[7]

Tradition has it that the three main hills of Lhasa represent the "Three Protectors of Tibet". Chokpori, just to the south of the Potala, is the soul-mountain (Wylie: bla ri) of Vajrapani, Pongwari that of Manjusri, and Marpori, the hill on which the Potala stands, represents Avalokiteśvara.[8]

History

[edit]
The Sertreng ceremony photographed by Hugh Edward Richardson on 28 April 1949 with the double giant thangka banner on the white front of the palace
Potala Palace
Left to right in consecutive rows top to bottom: Tibetan Uchen and Umey script; Latinized Tibetan / Wylie Latinization of Tibetan script; Lantsa and Devanagari script; Mongol Cyrillic script; traditional Mongol script, traditional Chinese, and simplified Chinese.
Tibetan name
Tibetanཔོ་ཏ་ལ་ཕོ་བྲང​
Transcriptions
Wyliepo ta la pho brang
Mongolian name
Mongolian scriptᠪᠦᠲᠠᠯᠠ ᠥᠷᠳᠥᠨ

The site on which the Potala Palace rises is built over a palace erected by Songtsen Gampo on the Red Hill.[9] The Potala contains two chapels on its northwest corner that conserve parts of the original building. One is the Phakpa Lhakhang, the other the Chogyel Drupuk, a recessed cavern identified as Songtsen Gampo's meditation cave.[10] Lozang Gyatso, the Great Fifth Dalai Lama, started the construction of the modern Potala Palace in 1645[2] after one of his spiritual advisers, Konchog Chophel (died 1646), pointed out that the site was ideal as a seat of government, situated as it is between Drepung and Sera monasteries and the old city of Lhasa.[3] The external structure was built in 3 years, while the interior, together with its furnishings, took 45 years to complete.[11] The Dalai Lama and his government moved into the Potrang Karpo ('White Palace') in 1649.[3] Construction lasted until 1694,[12] some twelve years after his death. The Potala was used as a winter palace by the Dalai Lama from that time. The Potrang Marpo ('Red Palace') was added between 1690 and 1694.[12]

The new palace got its name from a hill on Cape Comorin at the southern tip of India—a rocky point sacred to the bodhisattva of compassion, who is known as Avalokitesvara, or Chenrezi. The Tibetans themselves rarely speak of the sacred place as the "Potala", but rather as "Peak Potala" (Tse Potala), or most commonly as "the Peak".[13]

The palace was moderately damaged during the Tibetan uprising against the Chinese in 1959, when Chinese shells were launched into the palace's windows.[14] Before Chamdo Jampa Kalden was shot and taken prisoner by soldiers of the People's Liberation Army, he witnessed "Chinese cannon shells began landing on Norbulingka past midnight on 19 March 1959... The sky lit up as the Chinese shells hit the Chakpori Medical College and the Potala."[15] It also escaped damage during the Cultural Revolution in 1966 through the personal intervention of Zhou Enlai,[16][17] who was then the Premier of the People's Republic of China. According to Tibetan historian Tsering Woeser, the palace, which harboured "over 100,000 volumes of scriptures and historical documents" and "many store rooms for housing precious objects, handicrafts, paintings, wall hangings, statues, and ancient armour", "was almost robbed empty".[18]

The former quarters of the Dalai Lama. The figure in the throne represents Tenzin Gyatso, the incumbent Dalai Lama.

The Potala Palace was inscribed to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1994. In 2000 and 2001, Jokhang Temple and Norbulingka were added to the list as extensions to the sites. Rapid modernisation has been a concern for UNESCO, however, which expressed concern over the building of modern structures immediately around the palace which threaten the palace's unique atmosphere.[19] The Chinese government responded by enacting a rule barring the building of any structure taller than 21 metres in the area. UNESCO was also concerned over the materials used during the restoration of the palace, which commenced in 2002 at a cost of RMB180 million (US$22.5 million), although the palace's director, Qiangba Gesang, has clarified that only traditional materials and craftsmanship were used. The palace has also received restoration works between 1989 and 1994, costing RMB55 million (US$6.875 million).

The number of visitors to the palace was restricted to 1,600 a day, with opening hours reduced to six hours daily to avoid over-crowding from 1 May 2003. The palace was receiving an average of 1,500 a day prior to the introduction of the quota, sometimes peaking to over 5,000 in one day.[20] Visits to the structure's roof were banned after restoration efforts were completed in 2006 to avoid further structural damage.[21] Visitorship quotas were raised to 2,300 daily to accommodate a 30% increase in visitorship since the opening of the Qingzang railway into Lhasa on 1 July 2006, but the quota is often reached by mid-morning.[22] Opening hours were extended during the peak period in the months of July to September, where over 6,000 visitors would descend on the site.[23]

In February 2022, Tibetan pop star Tsewang Norbu set himself on fire in front of the Potala Palace and died. The Foreign Ministry of China has disputed this.[24]

Architecture

[edit]
Architecture of the Potala Palace

Built at an altitude of 3,700 m (12,100 ft), on the side of Ri Marpo ('Red Mountain') in the centre of Lhasa Valley,[25] the Potala Palace, with its vast inward-sloping walls broken only in the upper parts by straight rows of many windows, and its flat roofs at various levels, is not unlike a fortress in appearance. At the south base of the rock is a large space enclosed by walls and gates, with great porticos on the inner side. A series of tolerably easy staircases, broken by intervals of gentle ascent, leads to the summit of the rock. The whole width of this is occupied by the palace.[citation needed]

The central part of this group of buildings rises in a vast quadrangular mass above its satellites to a great height, terminating in gilt canopies similar to those on the Jokhang. This central member of Potala is called the "red palace" from its crimson colour, which distinguishes it from the rest. It contains the principal halls and chapels and shrines of past Dalai Lamas. There is in these much rich decorative painting, with jewelled work, carving and other ornamentation.

The lower white frontage on the south side of the palace was used to hoist two gigantic thangkas joined representing the figures of Tara and Sakyamuni during the Sertreng Festival on the 30th day of the second Tibetan month.[26][27]

The Chinese Putuo Zongcheng Temple, also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, built between 1767 and 1771, was in part modelled after the Potala Palace. The palace was named by the American television show Good Morning America and newspaper USA Today as one of the "New Seven Wonders".[28]

The nine-storey Leh Palace in Leh, Ladakh, India built by King Sengge Namgyal (c. 1570–1642), was a precursor of the Potala Palace.

The Lhasa Zhol Pillars

[edit]
Lhasa Zhol Pillar in 1993

Lhasa Zhol Village has two stone pillars or rdo-rings, an interior stone pillar or doring nangma, which stands within the village fortification walls, and the exterior stone pillar or doring chima,[29] which originally stood outside the South entrance to the village. Today the pillar stands neglected to the East of the Liberation Square, on the South side of Beijing Avenue.

The doring chima dates as far back as circa 764, "or only a little later",[30] and is inscribed with what may be the oldest known example of Tibetan writing.[31]

The pillar contains dedications to a famous Tibetan general and gives an account of his services to the king including campaigns against China which culminated in the brief capture of the Chinese capital Chang'an (modern Xi'an) in 763[32] during which the Tibetans temporarily installed as Emperor a relative of Princess Jincheng Gongzhu (Kim-sheng Kong), the Chinese wife of Trisong Detsen's father, Me Agtsom.[33][34]

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  • View showing recent Western Gate shops, highway, 2015
    View showing recent Western Gate shops, highway, 2015
  • View of the Potala from behind, seen from Ching Drol Chi Ling
    View of the Potala from behind, seen from Ching Drol Chi Ling
  • Potala Palace with Lhasa in the foreground
  • The park, pond, and chapel behind the Potala
    The park, pond, and chapel behind the Potala
  • Detail of decoration in Potala
    Detail of decoration in Potala
  • Mendicant monk at base of Potala, 1993
    Mendicant monk at base of Potala, 1993

See also

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Footnotes

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  1. ^ Stein, R. A. Tibetan Civilization (1962). Translated into English with minor revisions by the author. 1st English edition by Faber & Faber, London (1972). Reprint: Stanford University Press (1972), p. 84
  2. ^ a b Laird, Thomas. (2006). The Story of Tibet: Conversations with the Dalai Lama, pp. 175. Grove Press, New York. ISBN 978-0-8021-1827-1.
  3. ^ a b c Karmay, Samten C. (2005). "The Great Fifth", p. 1. Downloaded as a pdf file on 16 December 2007 from: [1] Archived 15 September 2013 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ W. D. Shakabpa, One hundred thousand moons, translated with an introduction by Derek F. Maher, Vol.1, BRILL, 2010 p. 48
  5. ^ Michael Dillon, China : a cultural and historical dictionary, Routledge, 1998, p. 184.
  6. ^ Booz, Elisabeth B. (1986). Tibet, pp. 62–63. Passport Books, Hong Kong.
  7. ^ Buckley, Michael and Strausss, Robert. Tibet: a travel survival kit, p. 131. Lonely Planet. South Yarra, Vic., Australia. ISBN 0-908086-88-1.
  8. ^ Stein, R. A. (1972). Tibetan Civilization, p. 228. Translated by J. E. Stapleton Driver. Stanford University Press, Stanford, California. ISBN 0-8047-0806-1 (cloth); ISBN 0-8047-0901-7 (paper).
  9. ^ Derek F. Maher in W. D. Shakabpa, One hundred thousand moons, translated with an introduction by Derek F. Maher, BRILL, 2010, Vol. 1, p. 123.
  10. ^ Gyurme Dorje, Tibet Handbook: With Bhutan, Footprint Travel Guides, 1999 pp. 101–3.
  11. ^ W. D. Shakabpa, One hundred thousand moons, translated with an introduction by Derek F. Maher BRILL, 2010, Vol.1, pp. 48–9.
  12. ^ a b Stein, R. A. Tibetan Civilization (1962). Translated into English with minor revisions by the author. 1st English edition by Faber & Faber, London (1972). Reprint: Stanford University Press (1972), p. 84.
  13. ^ Lowell Thomas, Jr. (1951). Out of this World: Across the Himalayas to Tibet. Reprint: 1952, p. 181. Macdonald & Co., London
  14. ^ Topping, Audrey (9 December 1979). "JOURNEY TO TIBET: HIDDEN SPLENDORS OF AN EXILED DEITY". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
  15. ^ Aukatsang, Youdon; Aukatsang, Kaydor (2014). The Lion From Chamdo: Remembering a True Son of Tibet. New Delhi, India: Mahayana Press. p. 8.
  16. ^ Larsen, Ingrid (28 October 2013). "Climbing to Great Heights - The Potala Palace". smithsonianjourneys.org. Retrieved 8 May 2021. The Potala was spared at the insistence of Chairman Mao's comrade, Zhou Enlai, who reportedly deployed his own troops to protect it.
  17. ^ "II. Cultural Relics and Ancient Books and Records Are Well Preserved and Utilized". Govt. White Papers - china.org.cn. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
  18. ^ Oser, Decline of Potala, 2007
  19. ^ "Development 'not ruining' Potala". BBC News. 28 July 2007. Retrieved 22 May 2010.
  20. ^ "Tourist entry restriction protects Potala Palace". chinadaily.com.cn.
  21. ^ Potala Palace bans roof tour Archived 26 May 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  22. ^ Tibet's Potala Palace to restrict visitors to 2,300 a day Archived 20 May 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  23. ^ "Tibet bans price rises at all tourist sites(05/04/07)". china-embassy.org.
  24. ^ "Deciphering a Tibetan Pop Star's Self-immolation". economist.com. 2 April 2022. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
  25. ^ Stein, R. A. Tibetan Civilization (1962). Translated into English with minor revisions by the author. 1st English edition by Faber & Faber, London (1972). Reprint: Stanford University Press (1972), p. 206
  26. ^ Sertreng.
  27. ^ The Potala taken from the south.
  28. ^ "ABC Good Morning America "7 New Wonders" Page". Yahoo.
  29. ^ Larsen and Sinding-Larsen (2001), p. 78.
  30. ^ Richardson (1985), p. 2.
  31. ^ Coulmas, Florian (1999). "Tibetan writing". Blackwell Reference Online. Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 20 October 2009.
  32. ^ Snellgrove and Richardson (1995), p. 91.
  33. ^ Richardson (1984), p. 30.
  34. ^ Beckwith (1987), p. 148.

References

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  •  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Lhasa". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 16 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 529–532. (See p. 530.)
  • Beckwith, Christopher I. (1987). The Tibetan Empire in Central Asia. Princeton University Press. Princeton, New Jersey. ISBN 0-691-02469-3.
  • "Reading the Potala". Peter Bishop. In: Sacred Spaces and Powerful Places in Tibetan Culture: A Collection of Essays. (1999) Edited by Toni Huber, pp. 367–388. The Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, Dharamsala, H.P., India. ISBN 81-86470-22-0.
  • Das, Sarat Chandra. Lhasa and Central Tibet. (1902). Edited by W. W. Rockhill. Reprint: Mehra Offset Press, Delhi (1988), pp. 145–146; 166–169; 262–263 and illustration opposite p. 154.
  • Larsen and Sinding-Larsen (2001). The Lhasa Atlas: Traditional Tibetan Architecture and Landscape, Knud Larsen and Amund Sinding-Larsen. Shambhala Books, Boston. ISBN 1-57062-867-X.
  • Richardson, Hugh E. (1984) Tibet & Its History. 1st edition 1962. Second Edition, Revised and Updated. Shambhala Publications. Boston ISBN 0-87773-376-7.
  • Richardson, Hugh E. (1985). A Corpus of Early Tibetan Inscriptions. Royal Asiatic Society. ISBN 0-94759300-4.
  • Snellgrove, David & Hugh Richardson. (1995). A Cultural History of Tibet. 1st edition 1968. 1995 edition with new material. Shambhala. Boston & London. ISBN 1-57062-102-0.
  • von Schroeder, Ulrich. (1981). Indo-Tibetan Bronzes. (608 pages, 1244 illustrations). Hong Kong: Visual Dharma Publications Ltd. ISBN 962-7049-01-8
  • von Schroeder, Ulrich. (2001). Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet. Vol. One: India & Nepal; Vol. Two: Tibet & China. (Volume One: 655 pages with 766 illustrations; Volume Two: 675 pages with 987 illustrations). Hong Kong: Visual Dharma Publications, Ltd. ISBN 962-7049-07-7
  • von Schroeder, Ulrich. 2008. 108 Buddhist Statues in Tibet. (212 p., 112 colour illustrations) (DVD with 527 digital photographs). Chicago: Serindia Publications. ISBN 962-7049-08-5
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