Potala Palace: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|Fortress in Lhasa, Tibet}}
{{Short description|Fortress in Lhasa, Tibet}}
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{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}
{{Infobox Tibetan Buddhist monastery
{{Infobox Tibetan Buddhist monastery
|name                  = པོ་ཏ་ལ་ཕོ་བྲང​​ <br /> Potala Palace
|name                  =  
|image                = Palacio de Potala - 02.JPG
|image                = Potala Palace HQ.jpg   
|alt                  =  
|alt                  =  
|caption              =  
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|coordinates          = {{coord|29|39|28|N|91|07|01|E|type:landmark_region:CN|display=inline,title}}
|coordinates          = {{coord|29|39|28|N|91|07|01|E|type:landmark_region:CN|display=inline,title}}
|map_caption          = Location within Tibet Autonomous Region
|map_caption          = Location within Tibet Autonomous Region
|location              = [[Lhasa (prefecture-level city)|Lhasa, Tibet]], China
|location              = [[Lhasa]], [[Tibet Autonomous Region]], [[China]]
|founded_by            = [[Songtsen Gampo]]
|founded_by            = [[Songtsen Gampo]]
|established          = 1649
|established          = {{start date and age|df=yes|1649}}
|sect                  =  
|sect                  =  
<!-- |date_renovated        = Modern palace constructed by the [[5th Dalai Lama]] in 1645 <br /> Renovated:1989 to 1994, 2002
<!-- |date_renovated        = Modern palace constructed by the [[5th Dalai Lama]] in 1645 <br /> Renovated:1989 to 1994, 2002
|religious_affiliation = [[Tibetan Buddhism]]  parameters do nor exist-->
|religious_affiliation = [[Tibetan Buddhism]]  parameters do nor exist-->
|lineage              = [[Dalai Lama]]
|dedicated_to          =  
|dedicated_to          =  
|head_lama            = [[14th Dalai Lama]]
|head_lama            = [[14th Dalai Lama]]
|colleges              =
|no._of_monks          =
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The '''Potala Palace''' is a [[Dzong architecture|''dzong'' fortress]] in [[Lhasa (prefecture-level city)|Lhasa, Tibet]], 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.


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}}</ref> It may overlay 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>
'''Potala Palace''' ({{bo|t=ཕོ་བྲང་པོ་ཏ་ལ་|w=pho brang po ta la|lang=yes}}; {{lang-zh|s=布达拉宫|p=Bùdálā Gōng|lang=yes}}) is a museum complex in [[Lhasa]], the capital of the [[Tibet Autonomous Region]]{{efn|The region is variously known in English as Tibet, in Tibetan as Bod (བོད་), and in Chinese as Xīzàng (西藏). For details on these names and their usage, see [[Etymology of Tibet|Etymology of ''Tibet'']].}} of [[China]]. It was formerly the winter palace of the [[Dalai Lama]]s,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://tibet.net/about-cta/constitution/|website=tibet.net|title=Charter of the Tibetans in Exile|publisher=[[Central Tibetan Administration]]|access-date=10 March 2025}}</ref> built in the [[Dzong architecture|dzong style]] on [[Marpo Ri]] (Red Mountain). From 1649 until 1959 it served as the Dalai Lamas' residence, after which it became chiefly a museum following the [[annexation of Tibet by the People's Republic of China]].


The building measures {{convert|400|m}} east-west and {{convert|350|m}} north-south, with sloping stone walls averaging {{convert|3|m}} 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|117|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>
The palace is named after [[Mount Potalaka]], regarded in Buddhist tradition as the mythical abode of the [[bodhisattva]] [[Avalokiteśvara]].<ref>[[Rolf Stein|Stein, R. A]]. ''[https://archive.org/details/tibetancivilizationsteinr.a._223_j/mode/2up 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> Construction of the present structure was begun in 1645 at the order of the [[5th Dalai Lama]],<ref name="Laird, Thomas 2006 pp. 175">Laird, Thomas. (2006). ''The Story of Tibet: Conversations with the Dalai Lama'', p. 175. Grove Press, New York. {{ISBN|978-0-8021-1827-1}}.</ref> advised by Konchog Chophel, the Thirty-fifth [[Ganden Tripa]] of the [[Gelug]] school.<ref name="KarmayIIAS">{{cite web|author=Samten G. Karmay|url=https://info-buddhism.com/The_Great_5th-Dalai_Lama-Ngagwang_Lobzang_Gyatso_Samten_Karmay.html|title=The Fifth Dalai Lama and his Reunification of Tibet|work=Tibetan Buddhism in the West: Problems of Adoption & Cross-Cultural Confusion|access-date=11 March 2025|archive-url=https://archive.today/20160216035359/http://info-buddhism.com/The_Great_5th-Dalai_Lama-Ngagwang_Lobzang_Gyatso_Samten_Karmay.html|archive-date=16 February 2016}}</ref> It was built on the site of an earlier palace attributed to [[Songtsen Gampo]] (traditionally dated to 637).<ref name="TWDShakabpa">{{cite book|author1=Tsepon Wangchuk Deden Shakabpa|date=1976|title=Bod kyi srid don rgyal rabs|trans-title=One hundred thousand moons|url=https://archive.org/details/advancedpoliticalhistoryoftibetvolume1onehundredthousandmoonsbytseponwangchukded_949_L|series=Tibetan studies library|translator-last1=Maher|translator-first1=Derek F.|publication-place=[[Leiden]], [[Boston]]|publisher=[[Brill Publishers|Brill]]|publication-date=2010|isbn=978-90-04-17788-8|via=archive.org}}</ref><ref>Michael Dillon, ''China: A Cultural and Historical Dictionary'', Routledge, 1998, p. 184.</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 ({{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>
Built at an altitude of about {{convert|3700|m}} on Marpo Ri in the center of the Lhasa Valley,<ref name="Stein206">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 palace measures {{convert|400|m}} east–west and {{convert|350|m}} north–south. Its sloping stone walls average {{convert|3|m}} thick, {{convert|5|m}} at the base, with copper poured into the foundations for earthquake protection.<ref>Booz, Elisabeth B. (1986). ''Tibet'', pp. 62–63. Passport Books, Hong Kong.</ref> Rising 13 stories, the complex contains more than 1,000 rooms, 10,000 shrines, and some 200,000 statues, reaching a height of {{convert|119|m}} above the mountain and over {{convert|300|m}} above the valley floor.<ref name="Buckley Strauss p131">Buckley, Michael and Strauss, Robert. ''Tibet: a travel survival kit'', p. 131. Lonely Planet. South Yarra, Vic., Australia. {{ISBN|0-908086-88-1}}.</ref>


== History ==
== History ==
[[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.]]
===Context===
The Dalai Lama inhabited an estate at [[Drepung Monastery]] known as [[Ganden Podrang]].<ref>Tsepon Wangchuk Deden Shakabpa: [https://ia902902.us.archive.org/27/items/advancedpoliticalhistoryoftibetvolume1onehundredthousandmoonsbytseponwangchukded_949_L/Advanced%20Political%20History%20of%20Tibet%20Volume%201%20One%20Hundred%20Thousand%20Moons%20By%20Tsepon%20Wangchuk%20Deden%20Shakabpa%20Derek%20Maher%20F.%20Brill.pdf p.327]</ref> During 1621 Lhasa was made the jurisdiction of Ganden Podrang by [[Ü-Tsang|Tsang]].<ref>Tsepon Wangchuk Deden Shakabpa: [https://ia902902.us.archive.org/27/items/advancedpoliticalhistoryoftibetvolume1onehundredthousandmoonsbytseponwangchukded_949_L/Advanced%20Political%20History%20of%20Tibet%20Volume%201%20One%20Hundred%20Thousand%20Moons%20By%20Tsepon%20Wangchuk%20Deden%20Shakabpa%20Derek%20Maher%20F.%20Brill.pdf p.334]</ref> During the third month of 1642 [[Gushri Khan]] [[Dharma#Buddhism|Dhamma]] King, Holder of the Faith, had taken from the <ref name=Shakabpa3467>Tsepon Wangchuk Deden Shakabpa: [https://ia902902.us.archive.org/27/items/advancedpoliticalhistoryoftibetvolume1onehundredthousandmoonsbytseponwangchukded_949_L/Advanced%20Political%20History%20of%20Tibet%20Volume%201%20One%20Hundred%20Thousand%20Moons%20By%20Tsepon%20Wangchuk%20Deden%20Shakabpa%20Derek%20Maher%20F.%20Brill.pdf 346-7]</ref> Sde-srid [[Tsangpa|Tsang-pa]] regime of the [[Karma Kagyu|Garma Gagyu]] Sect <ref>{{cite journal|last1=Jiawei|first1=Wang|last2=Gyaincain |first2= Nyima| url=https://www.bpastudies.org/index.php/bpastudies/article/view/99/199|title=The Historical Status of China's Tibet Chapter IV The Sovereign-Subject Relationship Between the Qing Dynasty Emperor and the Dalai Lama|journal=BPA Studies|publisher=[[China Intercontinental Press]] (republished online by: [[Washington Institute of China Studies]] & pkp.sfu.ca/software/ojs/ The [[Public Knowledge Project]] a Core Facility of [[Simon Fraser University]])|access-date=14 March 2025}}</ref>{{efn|Founded by [[Dusum Khyenpa]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://m.tibet.cn/eng/culture/tibetan/201512/t20151203_5775722.html|website=m.tibet.cn|title=First reincarnated Rinpoche in Tibetan Buddhism|date=3 December 2015|publisher=China Tibet Online:  Rongfeng 2008, Guang’anmenwai St.No.305, Xicheng District, Beijing, China|access-date=14 March 2025}}</ref> Garma Gagyu is [[Tibetan Buddhism]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://en.chinaculture.org/focus/focus/60PLT/2011-04/29/content_412955.htm|website=chinaculture.org|title=Curpu Monastery|publisher=Ministry of Culture, P.R.China|access-date=14 March 2025}}</ref>}}  (Tsang) by military forces the places in Tibet, which was the Land of Wooden Doors, held by that governship; and then offered the thirteen parts of Tibet, which is the whole, to the Dalai Lama.<ref name=Shakabpa3467/>  On the fifth day of the fourth month of the Water-Horse year in the 11th cycle{{efn|This is 2186 after [[the Buddha|the Compassionate One]] thoroughly passed through sorrow  <ref name="ia902902.us.archive.org">Tsepon Wangchuk Deden Shakabpa: [https://ia902902.us.archive.org/27/items/advancedpoliticalhistoryoftibetvolume1onehundredthousandmoonsbytseponwangchukded_949_L/Advanced%20Political%20History%20of%20Tibet%20Volume%201%20One%20Hundred%20Thousand%20Moons%20By%20Tsepon%20Wangchuk%20Deden%20Shakabpa%20Derek%20Maher%20F.%20Brill.pdf 347]</ref>}} the Dalai Lama was made sovereign of Tibet on the golden fearless snow lion throne.<ref name="ia902902.us.archive.org">Tsepon Wangchuk Deden Shakabpa: [https://ia902902.us.archive.org/27/items/advancedpoliticalhistoryoftibetvolume1onehundredthousandmoonsbytseponwangchukded_949_L/Advanced%20Political%20History%20of%20Tibet%20Volume%201%20One%20Hundred%20Thousand%20Moons%20By%20Tsepon%20Wangchuk%20Deden%20Shakabpa%20Derek%20Maher%20F.%20Brill.pdf 347]</ref> Sometime during or soon after 1644, the Dalai Lama, the then regent of Ganden Podrang,{{efn|the regent was: Sönam Chöpel}}  and Gushri Khan all decided to build a palace.<ref>Tsepon Wangchuk Deden Shakabpa: [https://ia902902.us.archive.org/27/items/advancedpoliticalhistoryoftibetvolume1onehundredthousandmoonsbytseponwangchukded_949_L/Advanced%20Political%20History%20of%20Tibet%20Volume%201%20One%20Hundred%20Thousand%20Moons%20By%20Tsepon%20Wangchuk%20Deden%20Shakabpa%20Derek%20Maher%20F.%20Brill.pdf 350]</ref>
 
{{Infobox Chinese
{{Infobox Chinese
| pic = Potala Palace in Different Languages.png
| pic = Potala Palace in Different Languages.png
| piccap = "Potala Palace" in Tibetan Umey script (top), traditional Mongol script (left), Latinized Tibetan, Wylie Latinization of Tibetan script, Mongol Cyrillic script, the holy Lantsa script, Devanagari script, traditional Chinese (bottom left), and simplified Chinese (bottom right).
| piccap =
[[Tibetan script|Tibetan]] [[Uchen]] and [[Umê]] [[Writing system|script]]s
----
:[[Latinisation of names|Latinized]] Tibetan / [[Wylie transliteration|Wylie]] Latinization of Tibetan  
----
:[[Lantsa]] and [[Devanagari]] scripts
----
:[[Mongolian Cyrillic alphabet|Mongol Cyrillic]] script  
----
:[[Mongolian script|traditional Mongol]] script, [[traditional Chinese]], [[simplified Chinese]]
----
:Mongolian
----
| picupright = 0.725
| 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 Potala is built on the site of palace Songtsen Gampo on the Red Hill.<ref name="TWDShakabpa" /><ref name="Stein206" /> The Potala contains two chapels on its northwest corner that conserve parts of the earlier palace. One is the Phakpa Lhakhang, the other the Chogyel Drupuk, a recessed cavern identified as [[Songtsen Gampo#Introduction of Buddhism|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|Ngawang Lozang Gyatso]],<ref>Tsepon Wangchuk Deden Shakabpa: [https://ia902902.us.archive.org/27/items/advancedpoliticalhistoryoftibetvolume1onehundredthousandmoonsbytseponwangchukded_949_L/Advanced%20Political%20History%20of%20Tibet%20Volume%201%20One%20Hundred%20Thousand%20Moons%20By%20Tsepon%20Wangchuk%20Deden%20Shakabpa%20Derek%20Maher%20F.%20Brill.pdf p.331]</ref> the Great Fifth Dalai Lama, started the construction of the modern Potala Palace in 1645,<ref name="Laird, Thomas 2006 pp. 175" />{{efn|[[Tibetan calendar]]:<ref name="Akka">{{cite web
|author=Taina Akka
|url=http://tactus.dk/tacom/calendar5.htm|website=tactus.dk
|title=Table of Years 1567-2046
|location=Copenhagen, Denmark
|publisher=tactus.dk/tacom/taina.htm
|access-date=10 March 2025}}</ref> (''ja''<ref name="TTaHL">{{cite web
|url=https://www.thlib.org/reference/tibcal/index.php
|website=www.thlib.org
|title=Tibetan to Gregorian Calendar Converter
|publisher=The Tibetan and Himilayan Library
|access-date=11 March 2025
}}</ref>) bird<sup>th</sup><ref name="Akka" /> (''shing''<ref name="TTaHL" />) wood<sup>th</sup><ref name="Akka" /> of the (''chu chik''<ref>{{cite web
|url=https://tibetan101.com/numbers
|author1=Penpa Lhamo
|author2=Amit A  Shapira
|website=tibetan101.com
|title=Writing Numbers
|access-date=10 March 2025}}</ref>) 11th (''rab byung'') 60-years cycle.<ref name="Akka" /> [[Nyatri Tsenpo|Nyatri Tsengpo]]/Royal Year<ref>{{cite web
|url=https://www.men-tsee-khang.org/tibetan-astrology-a-history
|website=www.men-tsee-khang.org
|title=Tibetan astrology: a history
|date=8 June 2023
|publisher=men-tsee-khang Conference on the Tibetan system of medicine, astronomy and astrology
|access-date=11 March 2025
|archive-url=https://archive.today/20250311162957/https://www.men-tsee-khang.org/tibetan-astrology-a-history/|archive-date=11 March 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
|url=https://tibetmuseum.org/timeline-example/
|website=tibetmuseum.org
|title=Timeline
|publisher=The Tibet Museum
|access-date=11 March 2025
|location=Central Tibetan Administration campus, Gangchen Kyishong, Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh, India}}</ref> (if calculated by 100 year cycle): 1645-127 is [[:wikt:anno|anno]] [[:wikt:domini|domini]]: 1518}} after one of his spiritual advisers, Konchog Chophel, 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="Karman 2005 p1">Karmay, Samten C. (2005). "[http://www.iias.nl/nl/39/IIAS_NL39_1213.pdf  The Great Fifth]", p. 1. Downloaded as a pdf file on 16 December 2007 from: {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130915182901/http://www.iias.nl/nl/39/IIAS_NL39_1213.pdf|date=15 September 2013}}</ref>


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 |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|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 |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 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 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 }}</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 }}</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>
===Inhabitation===
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.<ref name="Stein 1972 p228">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>{{efn|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 Marpo Ri, the hill on which the Potala stands, represents Avalokiteśvara.<ref name="Stein 1972 p228" />}}


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 |access-date=6 April 2022}}</ref>
The Dalai Lama and his government moved into the Potrang Karpo ('White Palace') in 1649.<ref name="Karman 2005 p1" /> The Potala was used as a winter palace by the Dalai Lama from that time. Construction lasted until 1694,<ref name="Stein 1962 p84">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.<ref name="Stein 1962 p84" /> The Potrang Marpo ('Red Palace') was added between 1690 and 1694.<ref name="Stein 1962 p84" /> [[Kalachakra]] [[Mandala#Buddhism|Mandala]] was constructed during the 1690s.<ref name=MS>{{cite web|last1=Henss|first1=Michael|author2=Pema Namdol THAYE|url=https://rubinmuseum.org/projecthimalayanart/essays/the-kalachakra-mandala-in-the-potala-palace/|website=rubinmuseum.org|title=108 OBJECT ESSAYS|publisher=[[The Rubin Museum of Art]]|series=Project Himalayan Art|access-date=12 March 2025}}</ref>
 
The [[Yamantaka]] Mandala was made during 1751.<ref name=MS/>
 
===Modern===
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>[[Pitt Rivers Museum]] [http://web.prm.ox.ac.uk/tibet/glossary.php.html Sertreng] web.prm.ox.ac.uk [[University of Oxford]]</ref><ref>Hugh E. Richardson; Pitt Rivers Museum. [http://web.prm.ox.ac.uk/tibet/photo_BMR.6.8.5.html The Potala taken from the south] web.prm.ox.ac.uk [[University of Oxford]]</ref>
 
Amongst at least one group of Tibetans c. 1950 the "Potala" is known colloquially 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>
<gallery class="small" widths="150px" heights="150px">
File:亜細亜大観 03 124 "西藏教皇達賴喇嘛法王の宮殿 （西藏）".jpg|Potala Palace in the 1920s
File:The Zhol PIllar in 1949.jpg|The Sertreng ceremony on 28 April 1949 with [[thangka]]s on the front of the palace
</gallery>
 
===Under the People's Republic of China===
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>{{efn|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 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>
 
The Potala Palace was inscribed to the [[UNESCO]] [[World Heritage List]] in 1994.
 
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=https://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).
[[File:Potala - panoramio - Matthew Summerton cropped.jpg|thumb|left|The Potala Palace in 2008]]
[[File:Potala Palace (23651397662).jpg|thumb|View showing recent Western Gate shops, highway, 2015]]
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=https://iq.china-embassy.gov.cn/eng/zt/jrxz/200705/t20070504_2517936.htm|title=Tibet bans price rises at all tourist sites(05/04/07)|archive-url=https://archive.today/20250311003610/https://iq.china-embassy.gov.cn/eng/zt/jrxz/200705/t20070504_2517936.htm|archive-date=11 March 2025|work=Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the Republic of Iraq}}</ref>


== Architecture ==
== Architecture ==
[[File:Lhasa Potala.jpg|thumb|Architecture of the Potala Palace]]
<gallery mode="packed">
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.
File:048 Potala (3).JPG
File:Lhasa, Potala 1999 04.jpg
File:Lhasa Potala.jpg
</gallery>


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 Potala has inward-sloping walls with straight rows of many windows at the upper parts of the walls, and flat roofs at various levels. 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 staircases with intervals leads to the summit of the rock. The whole width of this is occupied by the palace.{{Citation needed|date=July 2023}}


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>
The central part of the group of buildings is a quadrangular terminating in gilt canopies similar to those on [[Jokhang Temple Monastery]]. The crimson coloured central member of Potala is called the "red palace" and contains the principal halls and chapels and shrines of past Dalai Lamas.


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>
The colours: red, white, yellow, are caused by the application of [[limestone]].<ref name="TWDShakabpa" />


The nine-storey [[Leh Palace]] in [[Leh, Ladakh]], India built by King [[Sengge Namgyal]] (c. 1570–1642), was a precursor of the Potala Palace.
===White Potala===
<gallery mode="packed">
File:Lhasa-Potala-66-Ostseite-2014-gje.jpg
File:Palacio de Potala - 04.JPG
File:Lhasa, Potala 1999 05.jpg
</gallery>


== The Lhasa Zhol Pillars ==
===Red Potala===
[[File:Lhasa Zhol Rdo-rings 1993.JPG|thumb|[[Lhasa Zhol Pillar]] in 1993]]
<gallery mode="packed">
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.
File:Lhasa, Potala 1999 11.jpg
File:Potala V.jpg
File:Potala Red Palace walls.jpg
</gallery>


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>
=== Interior ===
<gallery mode="packed">
File:Deatail of decoration in Potala.jpg|Detail of decoration
File:Copy of 331016571Potala original.tif|A copy of 13th-14th century Buddha statue
File:IMG 1206 Lhasa Potala.jpg|The former quarters of the Dalai Lama. The figure in the throne represents [[Tenzin Gyatso]], the incumbent [[Dalai Lama]]. The throne bears the Chinese character {{linktext|夀}}, meaning "long life".
</gallery>


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 [[Xian]]) 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 co), the Chinese wife of [[Trisong Detsen]]'s father, [[Me Agtsom]].<ref>Richardson (1984), p. 30.</ref><ref>Beckwith (1987), p. 148.</ref>
===Grounds===
<gallery mode="packed">
File:Potala-from-behind 07-2005.jpg|View from behind, seen from Ching Drol Chi Ling
File:The quiet and peaceful park, pond, and chapel behind the Potala.jpg|The park, pond, and Temple behind the Potala
</gallery>


==Gallery==
==See also==
<gallery>
 
File:Potala Palace (23651397662).jpg|View showing recent Western Gate shops, highway, 2015
* [[Dhvaja]]
File:Potala-from-behind 07-2005.jpg|View of the Potala from behind, seen from Ching Drol Chi Ling
* ''[[Kundun]]'', a 1997 film about the Dalai Lama, chiefly set inside the palace
File:Potala Palace HQ.jpg|alt=|Potala Palace with Lhasa in the foreground
* [[Leh Palace]]
File:The quiet and peaceful park, pond, and chapel behind the Potala.jpg|The park, pond, and chapel behind the Potala
* [[Lhasa Mass Art Museum]]
File:Deatail of decoration in Potala.jpg|Detail of decoration in Potala
* [[Lhasa Zhol Pillar]]
File:Mendicant monk. Lhasa 1993.jpg|[[Mendicant]] monk at base of Potala, 1993
* [[List of tallest structures built before the 20th century]]
</gallery>
* [[Mount Putuo]]
* [[Norbulingka]], the Dalai Lama's former summer palace
* [[Patala]], Patala/Potala
* ''[[Seven Years in Tibet]]''


== See also ==
==Notes==
*[[Norbulingka]], the Dalai Lama's former summer palace
{{notelist}}
*[[Jokhang Temple Monastery]]
*[[Dhvaja]]
*''[[Kundun]]'', a 1997 film about the Dalai Lama, chiefly set inside the palace
*''[[Seven Years in Tibet]]''
*[[Leh Palace]]
*[[Mount Putuo]]
*[[List of tallest structures built before the 20th century]]


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


== References ==
== Sources ==
*{{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}}.
* [[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}}.
*Bishop, Peter. "Reading the Potala". 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.
* 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}}.
* 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.]] (1984) ''Tibet & Its History''. 1st edition 1962. Second Edition, Revised and Updated. Shambhala Publications. Boston {{ISBN|0-87773-376-7}}.
Line 116: Line 191:
* 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. (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}}
* 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}}
*Yule, Henry; Waddell, Lawrence. {{EB1911|wstitle=Lhasa|volume=16|pages=529–532}} (See p.&nbsp;530.)


== External links ==
== External links ==
{{Commons category|Potala Palace}}
* {{Official website}}
* [https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/707 Potala Palace] at [[UNESCO|UNESCO.org]]
* [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)
*[https://treasuryoflives.org/institution/Potala Potala Palace] with related biographies, art, and timelines (The Treasury of Lives)
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* [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]
* [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]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110816074748/http://www.sight3d.com/sights/Potala-Palace Three-dimensional rendering of Potala Palace] {{in lang|en|es|de}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110816074748/http://www.sight3d.com/sights/Potala-Palace Three-dimensional rendering of Potala Palace] {{in lang|en|es|de}}
* {{Osmway |176772035}}
* {{OSM way |176772035}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20170721080353/http://www.ancientpotalapalace.com/ The Potala palace] (archived)
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20170721080353/http://www.ancientpotalapalace.com/ The Potala palace] (archived)
* [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.
* [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.
 
* {{Cite journal|last1=Vetter|first1=Jordan|date=2020|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/347926594_Through_the_eyes_of_the_Potala_Palace_Difficult_heritage_and_memory_in_Tibet|title=Through the eyes of the Potala Palace: Difficult heritage and memory in Tibet|journal=The iJournal Student Journal of the Faculty of Information|volume=6|issue=1|doi=10.33137/ijournal.v6i1.35270|via=[[ResearchGate]]: www.researchgate.net|doi-access=free}}
{{Buddhism topics}}
{{Buddhism topics}}
{{Dalai Lamas}}
{{Dalai Lamas}}
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{{Dzongs of Tibet}}
{{Dzongs of Tibet}}
{{World Heritage Sites in China}}
{{World Heritage Sites in China}}
{{Authority control}}


[[Category:Buddhist buildings in Tibet]]
[[Category:Buddhist buildings and structures in Tibet]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Lhasa]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Lhasa]]
[[Category:Dzongs in Tibet]]
[[Category:Dzongs in Tibet]]
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[[Category:Buddhist pilgrimage sites in China]]
[[Category:Buddhist pilgrimage sites in China]]
[[Category:Houses completed in 1694]]
[[Category:Houses completed in 1694]]
[[Category:1640s establishments in Tibet]]
[[Category:17th-century establishments in Tibet]]
[[Category:World Heritage Sites in Tibet]]
[[Category:World Heritage Sites in Tibet]]
[[Category:1694 establishments in Asia]]
[[Category:1694 establishments in Asia]]
[[Category:Major National Historical and Cultural Sites in Tibet]]
[[Category:Major National Historical and Cultural Sites in Tibet]]
[[Category:History of Lhasa]]
[[Category:History of Lhasa]]
[[Category:1649 establishments in Asia]]

Latest revision as of 17:35, 23 March 2026


Potala Palace
Religion
AffiliationTibetan Buddhism
Leadership14th Dalai Lama
Location
LocationLhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region, China
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Coordinates29°39′28″N 91°07′01″E / 29.65778°N 91.11694°E / 29.65778; 91.11694
Architecture
FounderSongtsen Gampo
Established1649; 377 years ago (1649)
Template:Infobox designation list/entry


Potala Palace (Tibetan: ཕོ་བྲང་པོ་ཏ་ལ་, Wylie: pho brang po ta la; Chinese: 布达拉宫; pinyin: Bùdálā Gōng) is a museum complex in Lhasa, the capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region[lower-alpha 1] of China. It was formerly the winter palace of the Dalai Lamas,[1] built in the dzong style on Marpo Ri (Red Mountain). From 1649 until 1959 it served as the Dalai Lamas' residence, after which it became chiefly a museum following the annexation of Tibet by the People's Republic of China.

The palace is named after Mount Potalaka, regarded in Buddhist tradition as the mythical abode of the bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara.[2] Construction of the present structure was begun in 1645 at the order of the 5th Dalai Lama,[3] advised by Konchog Chophel, the Thirty-fifth Ganden Tripa of the Gelug school.[4] It was built on the site of an earlier palace attributed to Songtsen Gampo (traditionally dated to 637).[5][6]

Built at an altitude of about 3,700 metres (12,100 ft) on Marpo Ri in the center of the Lhasa Valley,[7] the palace measures 400 metres (1,300 ft) east–west and 350 metres (1,150 ft) north–south. Its sloping stone walls average 3 metres (9.8 ft) thick, 5 metres (16 ft) at the base, with copper poured into the foundations for earthquake protection.[8] Rising 13 stories, the complex contains more than 1,000 rooms, 10,000 shrines, and some 200,000 statues, reaching a height of 119 metres (390 ft) above the mountain and over 300 metres (980 ft) above the valley floor.[9]

History[edit | edit source]

Context[edit | edit source]

The Dalai Lama inhabited an estate at Drepung Monastery known as Ganden Podrang.[10] During 1621 Lhasa was made the jurisdiction of Ganden Podrang by Tsang.[11] During the third month of 1642 Gushri Khan Dhamma King, Holder of the Faith, had taken from the [12] Sde-srid Tsang-pa regime of the Garma Gagyu Sect [13][lower-alpha 2] (Tsang) by military forces the places in Tibet, which was the Land of Wooden Doors, held by that governship; and then offered the thirteen parts of Tibet, which is the whole, to the Dalai Lama.[12] On the fifth day of the fourth month of the Water-Horse year in the 11th cycle[lower-alpha 3] the Dalai Lama was made sovereign of Tibet on the golden fearless snow lion throne.[16] Sometime during or soon after 1644, the Dalai Lama, the then regent of Ganden Podrang,[lower-alpha 4] and Gushri Khan all decided to build a palace.[17]

Potala Palace
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The Potala is built on the site of palace Songtsen Gampo on the Red Hill.[5][7] The Potala contains two chapels on its northwest corner that conserve parts of the earlier palace. One is the Phakpa Lhakhang, the other the Chogyel Drupuk, a recessed cavern identified as Songtsen Gampo's meditation cave.[18] Ngawang Lozang Gyatso,[19] the Great Fifth Dalai Lama, started the construction of the modern Potala Palace in 1645,[3][lower-alpha 5] after one of his spiritual advisers, Konchog Chophel, 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.[25]

The external structure was built in 3 years, while the interior, together with its furnishings, took 45 years to complete.[26]

Inhabitation[edit | edit source]

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.[27][lower-alpha 6]

The Dalai Lama and his government moved into the Potrang Karpo ('White Palace') in 1649.[25] The Potala was used as a winter palace by the Dalai Lama from that time. Construction lasted until 1694,[28] some twelve years after his death.[28] The Potrang Marpo ('Red Palace') was added between 1690 and 1694.[28] Kalachakra Mandala was constructed during the 1690s.[29]

The Yamantaka Mandala was made during 1751.[29]

Modern[edit | edit source]

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.[30][31]

Amongst at least one group of Tibetans c. 1950 the "Potala" is known colloquially as "Peak Potala" (Tse Potala), or most commonly as "the Peak".[32]

  • Potala Palace in the 1920s
    Potala Palace in the 1920s
  • The Sertreng ceremony on 28 April 1949 with thangkas on the front of the palace
    The Sertreng ceremony on 28 April 1949 with thangkas on the front of the palace

Under the People's Republic of China[edit | edit source]

The palace was moderately damaged during the Tibetan uprising against the Chinese in 1959, when Chinese shells were launched into the palace's windows.[33][lower-alpha 7] It escaped damage during the Cultural Revolution in 1966 through the personal intervention of Zhou Enlai,[35][36] 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".[37]

The Potala Palace was inscribed to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1994.

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.[38] 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 Potala Palace in 2008
View showing recent Western Gate shops, highway, 2015

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.[39] Visits to the structure's roof were banned after restoration efforts were completed in 2006 to avoid further structural damage.[40] 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.[41] 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.[42]

Architecture[edit | edit source]

The Potala has inward-sloping walls with straight rows of many windows at the upper parts of the walls, and flat roofs at various levels. 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 staircases with intervals leads to the summit of the rock. The whole width of this is occupied by the palace.[citation needed]

The central part of the group of buildings is a quadrangular terminating in gilt canopies similar to those on Jokhang Temple Monastery. The crimson coloured central member of Potala is called the "red palace" and contains the principal halls and chapels and shrines of past Dalai Lamas.

The colours: red, white, yellow, are caused by the application of limestone.[5]

White Potala[edit | edit source]

Red Potala[edit | edit source]

Interior[edit | edit source]

  • Detail of decoration
    Detail of decoration
  • A copy of 13th-14th century Buddha statue
    A copy of 13th-14th century Buddha statue
  • The former quarters of the Dalai Lama. The figure in the throne represents Tenzin Gyatso, the incumbent Dalai Lama. The throne bears the Chinese character 夀, meaning "long life".
    The former quarters of the Dalai Lama. The figure in the throne represents Tenzin Gyatso, the incumbent Dalai Lama. The throne bears the Chinese character 夀, meaning "long life".

Grounds[edit | edit source]

  • View from behind, seen from Ching Drol Chi Ling
    View from behind, seen from Ching Drol Chi Ling
  • The park, pond, and Temple behind the Potala
    The park, pond, and Temple behind the Potala

See also[edit | edit source]

Notes[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ The region is variously known in English as Tibet, in Tibetan as Bod (བོད་), and in Chinese as Xīzàng (西藏). For details on these names and their usage, see Etymology of Tibet.
  2. ↑ Founded by Dusum Khyenpa,[14] Garma Gagyu is Tibetan Buddhism[15]
  3. ↑ This is 2186 after the Compassionate One thoroughly passed through sorrow [16]
  4. ↑ the regent was: Sönam Chöpel
  5. ↑ Tibetan calendar:[20] (ja[21]) birdth[20] (shing[21]) woodth[20] of the (chu chik[22]) 11th (rab byung) 60-years cycle.[20] Nyatri Tsengpo/Royal Year[23][24] (if calculated by 100 year cycle): 1645-127 is anno domini: 1518
  6. ↑ 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 Marpo Ri, the hill on which the Potala stands, represents Avalokiteśvara.[27]
  7. ↑ 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."[34]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ "Charter of the Tibetans in Exile". tibet.net. Central Tibetan Administration. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
  2. ↑ 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
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Laird, Thomas. (2006). The Story of Tibet: Conversations with the Dalai Lama, p. 175. Grove Press, New York. ISBN 978-0-8021-1827-1.
  4. ↑ Samten G. Karmay. "The Fifth Dalai Lama and his Reunification of Tibet". Tibetan Buddhism in the West: Problems of Adoption & Cross-Cultural Confusion. Retrieved 11 March 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Tsepon Wangchuk Deden Shakabpa (1976). Bod kyi srid don rgyal rabs [One hundred thousand moons]. Tibetan studies library. Translated by Maher, Derek F. Leiden, Boston: Brill (published 2010). ISBN 978-90-04-17788-8 – via archive.org.
  6. ↑ Michael Dillon, China: A Cultural and Historical Dictionary, Routledge, 1998, p. 184.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 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. 206
  8. ↑ Booz, Elisabeth B. (1986). Tibet, pp. 62–63. Passport Books, Hong Kong.
  9. ↑ Buckley, Michael and Strauss, Robert. Tibet: a travel survival kit, p. 131. Lonely Planet. South Yarra, Vic., Australia. ISBN 0-908086-88-1.
  10. ↑ Tsepon Wangchuk Deden Shakabpa: p.327
  11. ↑ Tsepon Wangchuk Deden Shakabpa: p.334
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Tsepon Wangchuk Deden Shakabpa: 346-7
  13. ↑ Jiawei, Wang; Gyaincain, Nyima. "The Historical Status of China's Tibet Chapter IV The Sovereign-Subject Relationship Between the Qing Dynasty Emperor and the Dalai Lama". BPA Studies. China Intercontinental Press (republished online by: Washington Institute of China Studies & pkp.sfu.ca/software/ojs/ The Public Knowledge Project a Core Facility of Simon Fraser University). Retrieved 14 March 2025.
  14. ↑ "First reincarnated Rinpoche in Tibetan Buddhism". m.tibet.cn. China Tibet Online: Rongfeng 2008, Guang’anmenwai St.No.305, Xicheng District, Beijing, China. 3 December 2015. Retrieved 14 March 2025.
  15. ↑ "Curpu Monastery". chinaculture.org. Ministry of Culture, P.R.China. Retrieved 14 March 2025.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Tsepon Wangchuk Deden Shakabpa: 347
  17. ↑ Tsepon Wangchuk Deden Shakabpa: 350
  18. ↑ Gyurme Dorje, Tibet Handbook: With Bhutan, Footprint Travel Guides, 1999 pp. 101–3.
  19. ↑ Tsepon Wangchuk Deden Shakabpa: p.331
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3 Taina Akka. "Table of Years 1567-2046". tactus.dk. Copenhagen, Denmark: tactus.dk/tacom/taina.htm. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 "Tibetan to Gregorian Calendar Converter". www.thlib.org. The Tibetan and Himilayan Library. Retrieved 11 March 2025.
  22. ↑ Penpa Lhamo; Amit A Shapira. "Writing Numbers". tibetan101.com. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
  23. ↑ "Tibetan astrology: a history". www.men-tsee-khang.org. men-tsee-khang Conference on the Tibetan system of medicine, astronomy and astrology. 8 June 2023. Retrieved 11 March 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  24. ↑ "Timeline". tibetmuseum.org. Central Tibetan Administration campus, Gangchen Kyishong, Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh, India: The Tibet Museum. Retrieved 11 March 2025.
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 Karmay, Samten C. (2005). "The Great Fifth", p. 1. Downloaded as a pdf file on 16 December 2007 from: Archived 15 September 2013 at the Wayback Machine
  26. ↑ W. D. Shakabpa, One hundred thousand moons, translated with an introduction by Derek F. Maher BRILL, 2010, Vol.1, pp. 48–9.
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 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).
  28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 28.2 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.
  29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 Henss, Michael; Pema Namdol THAYE. "108 OBJECT ESSAYS". rubinmuseum.org. Project Himalayan Art. The Rubin Museum of Art. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
  30. ↑ Pitt Rivers Museum Sertreng web.prm.ox.ac.uk University of Oxford
  31. ↑ Hugh E. Richardson; Pitt Rivers Museum. The Potala taken from the south web.prm.ox.ac.uk University of Oxford
  32. ↑ Lowell Thomas, Jr. (1951). Out of this World: Across the Himalayas to Tibet. Reprint: 1952, p. 181. Macdonald & Co., London
  33. ↑ 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.
  34. ↑ Aukatsang, Youdon; Aukatsang, Kaydor (2014). The Lion From Chamdo: Remembering a True Son of Tibet. New Delhi, India: Mahayana Press. p. 8.
  35. ↑ 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.
  36. ↑ "II. Cultural Relics and Ancient Books and Records Are Well Preserved and Utilized". Govt. White Papers - china.org.cn. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
  37. ↑ Oser, Decline of Potala, 2007
  38. ↑ "Development 'not ruining' Potala". BBC News. 28 July 2007. Retrieved 22 May 2010.
  39. ↑ "Tourist entry restriction protects Potala Palace". chinadaily.com.cn.
  40. ↑ Potala Palace bans roof tour Archived 26 May 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  41. ↑ Tibet's Potala Palace to restrict visitors to 2,300 a day Archived 20 May 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  42. ↑ "Tibet bans price rises at all tourist sites(05/04/07)". Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the Republic of Iraq.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)

Sources[edit | edit source]

  • Beckwith, Christopher I. (1987). The Tibetan Empire in Central Asia. Princeton University Press. Princeton, New Jersey. ISBN 0-691-02469-3.
  • Bishop, Peter. "Reading the Potala". 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
  • Yule, Henry; Waddell, Lawrence.  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.)

External links[edit | edit source]

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