Potala Palace

This architectural wonder is Lhasa's cardinal landmark. It can be seen from all directions for miles around. Potala was set up in the seventh century AD during the reign of King Songtsen Gampo. It comprises of the White and Red palaces with more than 1000 rooms. The White Palace was for secular use and it contained living quarters, offices, the seminary and the printing house. After Lhasa was reinstated as the capital of Tibet in the 17th century the Great 5th Dalai Lama began construction of the White Palace (built 1645-53) employing 7000 workers and 1500 artisans. It functioned as the traditional seat of the Tibetan government and the winter residence of the Dalai Lamas.

The Red Palace on the other hand is attributed to the regent Desi Sangye Gyatso and was completed in 1693. The 5th Dalai Lama died in 1682 but his death was concealed by the regent in order to enable completion of the construction without the distraction of political upheaval. The Red Palace was used for religious purposes and it contained gold stupas (which were the tombs of eight previous Dalai Lamas), the monks' assembly hall, numerous chapels and shrines, and libraries for Buddhist Scriptures.

In 1922 the 13th Dalai Lama renovated many chapels and assembly halls in the White Palace and added two stories to the Red Palace. He extended it to the present size which is 117 meters (384 ft) in height and 360 meters (1,180 ft) in width, covering an area of more than 130, 000 sq meters (about 32 acres).

Altogether the Potala Palace consists of 13 storeys and used to be the tallest building until the 20th century skyscraper. The whole building is a structure of stone and timber. In December 1994 Potala Palace was listed by UNESCO in its world Heritage.