Potala Palace in Tibet. Ancient "mystical mountain". SFW - jokes, humor, girls, accidents, cars, photos of celebrities and much more The order of visits by tourists to the Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet
Lhasa - "the dwelling place of the gods", it was chosen by the Tibetan kings as the capital of the state. Until now, the researchers of Central Asia cannot unravel all the secrets of the city to the end. The mysteries of Lhasa also include a centuries-old building - the Potala Palace. With its beauty and grandeur, it has amazed people for hundreds of years. Every year thousands of tourists visit this place of Buddhist pilgrimage.
City of Lhasa. Potala Palace - the main attraction
The Chinese city of Lhasa is located in the valley of the beautiful Jichu River, which flows through. Above sea level, Lhasa is located at an altitude of 3680 meters. For many years it was the residence of the Dalai Lama. Only in 1979 the city became available for visiting tourists, until that time the entrance to foreigners was closed here. Barkhor Street runs in a circle through the center. According to the legends, there was a lake in the center of this ring, and in order for the townspeople to live in peace, the lake was filled up, and the Jokhang monastery was built on this site. In the Old City of Lhasa there are many valuable historical monuments: Sera, Drepung, Ganden monasteries, but the Tibetan Potala Palace can be called the most significant. For many years it has been surprising visitors with its unusualness, rare architecture, and magnificent style. Thousands of travelers come to Tibet to admire the beauty and uniqueness of the palace. Potala - - is located on the Red Hill, which is surrounded by the Lhaska valley.
Potala Palace, Tibet: the history of the building
According to legend, the Potala Palace was originally built in the 7th century by King Srontszangambo. The building was built for Princess Wencheng, his future wife. The building stretched from the foot to the top of the mountain, it united thousands of buildings made in the Tibetan style. During the hostilities of those years, the Tufan dynasty fell, and many halls of the palace were simply destroyed. Over time, natural disasters also had a bad effect on the condition of the walls of the structure. Reconstruction began only in 1645. At that time, the Qing government determined the ruler of Tibet - the Fifth Dalai Lama. The palace became his residence.
The Potala Palace consisted of two parts - White and Red. The White Palace was built in 1653, and in 1694 the construction of the Red Palace was completed. The total height of the structure made of earth, stone, wood was 117 meters. The width of the palace is 335 meters. Thirteen floors occupy more than 130 thousand square meters, now the entire area occupies 360 thousand square meters. The palace includes more than 1100 rooms and halls, 200 thousand of various sculptures, more than 10 thousand chapels.
Description of the Potala Palace
Let's take a closer look at what the Potala Palace looks like. As mentioned above, it consists of spirit parts - White and Red. The White Palace houses the chambers of the Dalai Lama, the Red Palace serves as a venue for services. Utility rooms and monks' cells were built in the courtyard. It is best to start your tour of the Red Palace from the upper rooms, in particular from the Maitreya Chapel. The entrances to the chapels are located on the lowest tier. The western part is occupied by the tombs of the Dalai Lamas, as well as government offices. In the Solar Pavilion he lived, worked, wrote the sacred texts of the Dalai Lama, and was engaged in management. The large pavilion was used for official ceremonies. The Pabalakan Hall and the Fa-Vana Cave, which is considered a special part, are still left from the constructions of the 7th century.
Climbing the Potala. Interesting places
A sacred place among Buddhists is the Potala Palace, Tibet annually receives thousands of pilgrims. The ascent to the palace begins at the foot of the mountain from a blank wall. A winding stone path will lead to the eastern gate, on which four alohanis are depicted. The pavilion can be accessed through the palace wall, its height is four meters.
In the middle of the path, a huge terrace appears, its area is 1600 square meters. From here, the Dalai Lama spoke to the faithful assembled here. Further along the corridor you can climb to the largest pavilion - Pozhanggabo Tsoqinxia. It was here that religious solemn ceremonies were held in 1653, when the Shunzhi Emperor granted the Fifth Dalai Lama a golden seal and a letter. It was then that he was raised to the rank of saint.
Wherever the Potala Palace is depicted, the part where there are eight tombs, the so-called pagoda-stupas, is visible. The most luxurious and largest is the pagoda of the Fifth Dalai Lama. It is covered with sheet gold, 3721 kg of it was used up. The tomb is encrusted with rare precious stones.
The largest and oldest part of the palace
The largest pavilion of Pozhangmabo keeps inscriptions by the Qing Emperor Qianlong and amazing curtains donated by the Kangxi Emperor. The legend says that in order to weave these curtains, a special workshop was built, it took a whole year to make them. The oldest part of the palace is the Snoyagal pavilion. It is here that the sculptures of the great king Srontszangambo, all the dignitaries and Princess Wencheng have been kept for many years. Sasronlanjie is the highest pavilion; sacrifices were made here for memorial tablets and the image of Emperor Qianlong.
Beauty of the Potala Palace
The Potala Palace appears before the eyes of travelers as a majestic building of indescribable beauty. Golden roofs, granite walls, graceful cornices with gilded decorations give the building a fabulous, fantastic image. On the colored wall paintings - drawings of Buddhas and alokhans, a true reproduction of the life and work of the Fifth Dalai Lama. It also reflects the solemn entry of Princess Wencheng into Tibet. The murals reflect the entire development of Buddhism, ancient Tibetan culture. The oldest architectural ensemble - the Potala Palace - is an indestructible symbol of Tibet, the fruit of the mind and talent of the Chinese people. It testifies to the cultural unity between the Han and Tibetans.
Potala Palace in city of Lhasa in Tibet — royal palace And Buddhist temple complex, was the main residence of the Dalai Lama. Located at an altitude of 3767 meters above sea level. No palace in the world is located as high as the Potala. The palace got its name from the name of the sacred mountain located in India, where, according to legend, the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvar (Guanyin) lives.
According to legend, the Potala Palace was built in the 7th century by the Tufan king Srontszangambo for his future wife, the Tang princess Wencheng. Spread along the mountainside from the foot to the top, it unites 1000 buildings of Tibetan architecture. After the fall of the Tufan dynasty from military invasions, most of the halls of the palace were destroyed, their reconstruction began in 1645, when the Qing government approved the Fifth Dalai Lama as the ruler of Tibet. His successors did not stop work on the expansion of the Potala Palace, and this is how it appears today.
The palace is divided into two parts - Pozhanggabo and Pozhangmabo. Pozhangabo in the east serves as the residence of the Dalai Lamas. Pozhangmabo in the center contains Buddhist halls and burial pagodas-stupas. Monks and servants live in white houses in the west. In front of Pozhangmabo there is a place for the representation of the image of the Buddha on holidays. The main building of the Potala Palace has 13 floors.
Potala Palace - sacred place Tibetan Buddhism, every year it is visited by a great number of pilgrims and tourists. Climbing the Potala usually begins with a blank stele at the foot of the mountain, along a winding stone path you can reach the eastern gate with the image of four alokhans and through the 4-meter palace wall get into the magnificent pavilion. In the middle of the mountain, a grandiose terrace of 1600 sq. m, where the Dalai Lama addressed the faithful. From here, you go up the corridor to the largest pavilion in Pozhanggabo, Tsoqinxia. According to historical records, since 1653, when the Qing Emperor Shunzhi granted the Fifth Dalai Lama with a golden letter and seal and the central government approved his elevation to the rank of saints, solemn religious ceremonies have been held here.
Main building of Pozhangmabo section form 8 tombs - funeral pagodas-stupas. The largest and most luxurious is the burial pagoda of the Fifth Dalai Lama. It is covered with gold leaf, for which 3721 kilograms were spent, and inlaid with precious stones. In the largest pavilion, Pozhangmabo, there is a memorial plaque with the inscription of the Qing Emperor Qianlong and magnificent curtains donated by the Qing Emperor Kangxi. According to legend, in order to make these curtains, Emperor Kangxi ordered the construction of a special workshop, it took a whole year to weave them. From here, through the gallery, you can get to the most ancient part of the palace - the Snoyagal Pavilion, where sculptures of King Srontszangambo, Princess Wencheng and dignitaries are kept. In the highest pavilion of Sasronlangze, sacrifices were made to the image and memorial tablets of the Qing Emperor Qianlong. After the death of the Fifth Dalai Lama, on New Year's Days according to the Tibetan calendar, his successors performed sacrifices here.
White Palace Potala located to the east of the Red Palace, in the White Palace there is the Great Eastern Pavilion, the Solar Pavilion, the living quarters of the regent and mentors of Dalai, and government offices.
Great Eastern Pavilion(in Tibetan "Tsotsinsha") - the largest pavilion of the White Palace. Important events of a political and religious nature were held here, in particular, the enthronement ceremonies of the Dalai Lamas. In the center of the pavilion, against the northern wall, is the Dalai Lama's throne. There are many frescoes on the walls of the pavilion, two groups of frescoes are of particular interest: the frescoes on the theme of "turning a monkey into a man" and the frescoes telling the story of Princess Jincheng.
solar pavilion located at the top of the Great Eastern Pavilion. There are two solar pavilions: east and west. They served as living quarters for the Dalai Lamas. The Western Solar Pavilion was built in the later years of the 13th Dalai Lama. Most of the year (summer and autumn) the Dalai Lama spent in the summer residence of Norbulingka, and the Potala Palace served as his winter Palace.
It was in this pavilion that the Dalai Lama spent his time reading sacred texts, administrative affairs, and vital functions. The western sun pavilion was the living quarters of the Dalai Lama on the 13th, and the eastern sun pavilion was the quarters of the Dalai Lama on the 14th. The pavilion houses a golden Buddha statue, a jasper figure of Avalokiteshvara, scrolls of sacred sutras, porcelain, a tea set made of gold and jasper, brocade blankets, and more.
red palace served as a place of prayers in the name of Buddha and other places of worship, the main premises of the Red Palace are pavilions with memorial stupas of the Dalai Lamas and places of worship for other purposes. In total, there are 8 memorial stupas in the Red Palace of the Potala, of which the most luxurious are the stupas of the Dalai Lama on the 5th and the Dalai Lama on the 13th. The size and splendor of the design of the stupa symbolizes the contribution to the development of the country and society made by this Dalai Lama. In addition, the Red Palace of the Potala houses numerous cult monuments and skillful products made of precious stones and metals, skillfully made carvings, rare editions of sacred texts, as well as sculptures of Buddhist saints, “tanka” icons, cult attributes, sacrificial accessories, and so on. In the fresco gallery on the fifth floor of the Red Potala Palace there is a whole group of frescoes reproducing episodes of the construction of the Potala Palace.
Stupa of the Dalai Lama On the 5th, it occupies the 4th floor, but it itself is equal in height to a 5-story building! At 14.85 meters high, this stupa is made of solid gold and is the tallest of the stupas in the Potala Palace. They say that the decoration and contents of this stupa equals half of the wealth of all mankind.
Granite walls, golden roofs, graceful cornices with their gilded decorations make the Potala Palace indescribably magnificent and majestic. Colored wall paintings in it depict Buddhas and alokhans, faithfully reproduce the life and work of the Fifth Dalai Lama, the solemn entry into Tibet of the Tang princess Wencheng, reflect the development of Tibetan Buddhism, ancient Tibetan culture. The ancient architectural ensemble - the Potala Palace - is the fruit of the mind and talent of the people, evidence of cultural ties between Tibetans and Hans, an indestructible symbol of Tibet.
Numerous pilgrims go around the hill with the palace, making a kora - a ritual detour of the holy place. Along the bark are numerous prayer wheels and shopping arcades.
- priceless treasure Tibet, sami th tall ancientpalace in China, and throughout the world, which reaches a height of 3,767 m (12,359 ft). It is located on Red Hill - Marpo Ri to the center e Lhasa - and historical capital of Tibet. The Potala takes its name from the holy mountain in South India in Sanskrit “The Abode of Avalokiteshvara (Buddha of Mercy).”
The palace was built on the site where the ruler of Tibet, Songtsen Gampo, used to meditate. The first building was built here in 637. Later, he decides to make Lhasa the capital of Tibet and, as legend has it, in honor of his betrothal to Princess Wen Cheng of the Chinese Tang Dynasty (618 - 907) in the 7th century, Songtsen Gampo builds a 9-story building - a palace with thousands of rooms.
Later, with the collapse of the Songtsen Gampa dynasty, ancient palace was almost destroyed in the wars. The image we see today is the architecture of the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911). The Potala Palace consists of 2 parts, the Red Palace - the center and the White Palace, located as two wings. 
Red Palace or Potrang Marpo- the highest part of the Palace, it is dedicated to teaching and religious Buddhist prayers.
According to her ideas, she represents majesty and strength. The Red Palace consists of a complex arrangement of various halls, chapels and libraries on many levels with many small galleries and winding corridors: The Great West Hall, the Dharma Cave, the Saint's Chapel, the tomb of the Thirteenth Dalai Lama, etc.
The Great West Hall - the largest hall of the Potala Palace , with beautiful frescoes on its inner walls. There are three chapels around it, the chapels of the East, the chapels of the North, and the chapels of the South. Dharma Cave and Saint's Chapel are the only two surviving 7th-century structures with statues of Songtsen Gampa and Princess Wen Cheng inside.
White Palace or Potrang Karpo once served as the administrative building of the local government, as well as the living quarters of the Dalai Lama. Its walls are painted white to convey peace and quiet. The Great Hall of the East on the fourth floor was the venue for special political and religious events.
The fifth and sixth floors are used as living quarters and the regents' offices while the seventh floor, the top floor, is the living quarters of the Dalai Lama, consisting of two parts called East Sunshine Ward and West Sunshine Ward due to the abundance of sunlight.
The Potala Palace has other structures, including schools of Buddhist logic, seminaries, printing houses, gardens, courtyards, and even prisons. For over 300 years, the palace has housed many cultural relics such as frescoes, stupas, statues, tanks and rare sutras.
Potala Palace today
- the center of the Tibetan religion, politics, history and art, and today - a large-scale local history museum. It contains more than 2,500 square meters of frescoes, about 1,000 stupas, over 10,000 sculptures and about 10,000 tanka paintings. The collection also includes paintings, wood carvings, classical scriptures, gold items, jade and local artisans that reflect the wisdom and intelligence of the Tibetans. Funeral stupas were built here to preserve the remains of the Dalai Lamas at the time of their death.
There are currently eight sumptuous stupas, one for each Dalai Lama except the sixth who has been removed from service. Funerary stupas differ in size, but have the same structure, consisting of the top, body and base. All stupas are decorated with gold and precious stones. The most majestic of all is the stupa of the fifth Dalai Lama.
It stands almost 15 meters (about 49 feet) tall, and is adorned with 15,000 pearls, carnelian and precious stones. The frescoes in the corridors depict historical figures, religious legends, Buddhist stories, folk customs and architecture.
Located on the Red Mountain in the center of Lhasa, the Potala is not only the largest monumental structure in all of Tibet, but also the tallest ancient one.
Myths and facts
The palace is named after the legendary Mount Potala in the South, where the bodhisattva Chenrezig (Avalokiteshvara), who is represented on earth by the Dalai Lama, lives. Legend has it that in the 7th century, in order to greet his bride, Princess Wen Cheng, Emperor Songtsen Gampo of Tibet built a 9-story palace with 999 rooms. After the collapse of the Songtsen Gampo dynasty, lightning struck the building and the wooden buildings burned down. Subsequent wars practically destroyed the ancient structure.
The construction of the current palace began in 1645 during the reign of the fifth Dalai Lama. By 1648 the White Palace was built. Red Palace, added in 1694. More than 7,000 workers and 1,500 artists and artisans worked on its construction. In 1922, the 13th Dalai Lama renovated many of the chapels and halls in the White Building and made changes to the Red Building.
The Potala was the main residence of the Dalai Lama until the invasion of Tibet in 1959. The Dalai Lama XIV was forced to leave and received political asylum in India. The rest of the monks were expelled, and the palace was looted by Chinese soldiers. Unlike most Tibetan and, Potala was not destroyed by the Chinese army, and most of the artifacts are well preserved. Today, only a few monks are allowed to be there under strict supervision. The Chinese government uses the complex as a museum to attract foreign tourists.
In 1994, the Potala Palace was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Today, the complex is visited daily by thousands of Tibetan pilgrims and travelers from all over the world.
What to watch
The Potala Palace is located at an altitude of 3,700 m on the Red Hill (Marpo Ri) in the middle of the Lhasa valley. The total area of the complex is 360 thousand m² and consists of two parts: the Red Palace, as the center, and the White Palace, as two wings.
The heart of the complex is the Red Building (Potrang Marpo) - the highest part in the center. This part is entirely devoted to religious education and Buddhist prayers. The building consists of many halls, chapels and libraries on several levels with galleries and winding corridors. Richly decorated with paintings, gems and carvings, it contains several temples and tombs of eight past Dalai Lamas, including pagodas of 200,000 pearls.
Located here is the Great Western Hall with an area of 725 sq.m. is the largest hall in the Potala. The walls of the hall are decorated with beautiful frescoes and paintings. Three chapels surround it on three sides: in the east, in the north and in the south. The Dharma Caves and the holy chapel are the only 7th-century buildings with statues of Songtsen Gampo, Princess Wen Cheng and Princess Bhrikuti still standing inside.
The White Palace (Potrang Karpo) once served as the office building for the local government of Tibet and the living quarters of the Dalai Lama. White walls symbolize peace and tranquility. Great East Hall on the fourth floor with an area of 717 sq.m. was the site of important religious and political ceremonies.
There are also schools of Buddhist logic, a seminary, a printing house, gardens, courtyards and even a prison in the Potala. For over 300 years, the ancient palace has kept many cultural relics such as frescoes, stupas, statues, tanka and rare sutras. Of particular importance is the Fa-Wana cave, in which, even before the construction of the building, King Songtsen Gampo read the sacred texts.
In Lhasa are also open to the public,.
Potala Palace in TibetThe Potala Palace is open from 7:30 am to 4:00 pm in summer and from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm in winter.
Cost: 100 yuan (about 11.7 €).
Excursions to the palace are limited, tickets are sold by advance requests (1 day in advance) after 17:00 the next day. In one hand give 4 tickets. Only by registering can you redeem an entrance ticket using your documents, where the time will be set for visiting the palace.
The Potala Palace is the highest ancient castle in the world, located at an altitude of 3767 meters. The Potala Palace is a huge Buddhist temple complex, occupying 360 thousand m 2 and consisting of two parts: the Red Palace, as the center, and the White Palace, like two wings. The height of the palace is 115 meters - these are 13 floors.Potala was the main residence of the Tibetan Dalai Lama for several centuries.Now this sacred place attracts thousands of pilgrims and tourists. Located on the Red Mountain in the center of Lhasa, the Potala is the largest monumental structure in all of Tibet, the ancient palace of the world. The word Potala itself means “Mystical Mountain”.
Once within the walls of this huge palace, surrounded by silence and tranquility, the religious ruler of Tibet sat. The centuries-old calm was broken in 1959 by the invasion of Chinese troops into Tibet, as a result of which the Dalai Lama XIV was forced to leave the country and received political asylum in India, where he is still located.
The first building on the site of the current palace was built in 637 by the king of Tibet. Songtsen Gampo, who decided to build a small palace over the Fa-Wan cave where he used to meditate. After some time, the king came up with the idea of making Lhasa the capital, so a large palace was erected on the site of the old building, which expanded significantly after Songtsen Gampo became engaged to the Chinese princess Wen Cheng.- by order of the king, the building of the palace was expanded to 999 rooms, and high walls with towers were erected around it and a bypass channel was dug.
Unfortunately, since almost everything in those days was built of wood, the palace, which was no exception, could not survive a severe thunderstorm in the second half of the 8th century, during which lightning struck it, and the fire that started burned all the wooden buildings. What was left of the palace was finally razed to the ground by internecine wars - only Pabalakan Hall and Fa-Vana Cave have survived to this day..
The Potala Palace, which we see today, began to be built only in 1645, during the reign of the fifth Dalai Lama. By 1648, the White Palace was built. Red Palace, added in 1694. More than 7,000 workers and 1,500 artists and artisans worked on its construction. In 1922, the 13th Dalai Lama renovated many of the chapels and halls in the White Building and made changes to the Red Building.
After the completion of the White Palace in 1648, the winter residence of the Dalai Lama was placed here. In the Solar Pavilion of the White Palace, the ruler lived and worked, and in the Great Eastern Pavilion he received guests and held solemn ceremonies. The white walls symbolize peace and tranquility. The walls of the hall are decorated with beautiful frescoes and paintings. There is also a statue of the Potala, the most respected artifact that attracts thousands of Tibetan tourists. It is completely covered with gold leaf with a total weight of 550 kg. and encrusted with tens of thousands of precious stones. The rest of the burial stupas, being much smaller in size, are also decorated with a huge amount of gold and jewels.
Great East Hall on the fourth floor with an area of 725 sq.m. was the site of important religious and political ceremonies.Three chapels surround it on three sides: in the east, in the north and in the south. The Dharma Caves and the holy chapel are the only 7th-century buildings with statues of Songtsen Gampo, Princess Wen Cheng and Princess Bhrikuti still standing inside.
The heart of the complex is the Red Building (which was built from 1690 to 1694) - the highest part in the center. This part is entirely devoted to religious education and Buddhist prayers. The building consists of many halls, chapels and libraries on several levels with galleries and winding corridors. Richly decorated with paintings, gems and carvings, it contains several temples and tombs of eight past Dalai Lamas, including pagodas of 200,000 pearls.
The Potala Palace occupies the entire hill on which it is located. The majesty of the huge building, stretching over the entire hill, still amazes both travelers and tourists, as well as the Buddhists and pilgrims themselves.
Innumerable treasures are stored in many halls, there are stupas of the Dalai Lamas and many high teachers, many buddhas and deities. Volumetric tantric mandalas are especially impressive.:
Samvara Mandala
Guhyasamaja Mandala
Yamantaka Mandala
Kalachakra Mandala
In the Potala there are schools of Buddhist logic, a seminary, a printing house, gardens, courtyards, and even a prison. For over 300 years, the ancient palace has kept many cultural relics such as frescoes, stupas, statues, tanka and rare sutras. Of particular importance is the Fa-Wana cave, in which, even before the construction of the building, King Songtsen Gampo read the sacred texts.
In 1994, the Potala Palace was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Today, the complex is visited daily by thousands of Tibetan pilgrims and travelers from all over the world.
This is what the Potala looks like at night
