The Potala Palace is a
''dzong'' fortress in
Lhasa, Tibet. It was the winter palace of the
Dalai Lama
Dalai Lama (, ; ) is a title given by the Tibetan people to the foremost spiritual leader of the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" school of Tibetan Buddhism, the newest and most dominant of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The 14th and current Dal ...
s from 1649 to 1959, has been a museum since then, and a
World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...
since 1994.
The palace is named after
Mount Potalaka, the mythical abode of the
bodhisattva
In Buddhism, a bodhisattva ( ; sa, 𑀩𑁄𑀥𑀺𑀲𑀢𑁆𑀢𑁆𑀯 (Brahmī), translit=bodhisattva, label=Sanskrit) or bodhisatva is a person who is on the path towards bodhi ('awakening') or Buddhahood.
In the Early Buddhist schoo ...
Avalokiteśvara
In Buddhism, Avalokiteśvara ( Sanskrit: अवलोकितेश्वर, IPA: ) is a bodhisattva who embodies the compassion of all Buddhas. He has 108 avatars, one notable avatar being Padmapāṇi (lotus bearer). He is variably depicte ...
. The
5th Dalai Lama
Ngawang Lobsang Gyatso (; ; 1617–1682) was the 5th Dalai Lama and the first Dalai Lama to wield effective temporal and spiritual power over all Tibet. He is often referred to simply as the Great Fifth, being a key religious and temporal leader ...
started its construction in 1645
[Laird, Thomas. (2006). ''The Story of Tibet: Conversations with the Dalai Lama'', pp. 175. Grove Press, New York. .] after one of his spiritual advisers, Konchog Chophel (died 1646), pointed out that the site was ideal as a seat of government, situated as it is between
Drepung and
Sera monasteries and the old city of
Lhasa
Lhasa (; Lhasa dialect: ; bo, text=ལྷ་ས, translation=Place of Gods) is the urban center of the prefecture-level Lhasa City and the administrative capital of Tibet Autonomous Region in Southwest China. The inner urban area of Lhas ...
.
[Karmay, Samten C. (2005). "The Great Fifth", p. 1. Downloaded as a pdf file on 16 December 2007 from]
It may overlay the remains of an earlier fortress called the White or Red Palace on the site, built by
Songtsen Gampo
Songtsen Gampo (; 569–649? 650), also Songzan Ganbu (), was the 33rd Tibetan king and founder of the Tibetan Empire, and is traditionally credited with the introduction of Buddhism to Tibet, influenced by his Nepali consort Bhrikuti, of Nepal ...
in 637.
The building measures east-west and north-south, with sloping stone walls averaging thick, and thick at the base, and with copper poured into the foundations to help proof it against earthquakes. Thirteen storeys of buildings, containing over 1,000 rooms, 10,000 shrines and about 200,000 statues, soar on top of Marpo Ri, the "Red Hill", rising more than in total above the valley floor.
[Buckley, Michael and Strausss, Robert. ''Tibet: a travel survival kit'', p. 131. Lonely Planet. South Yarra, Vic., Australia. .]
Tradition has it that the three main hills of
Lhasa
Lhasa (; Lhasa dialect: ; bo, text=ལྷ་ས, translation=Place of Gods) is the urban center of the prefecture-level Lhasa City and the administrative capital of Tibet Autonomous Region in Southwest China. The inner urban area of Lhas ...
represent the "Three Protectors of Tibet".
Chokpori, just to the south of the Potala, is the soul-mountain () of
Vajrapani, Pongwari that of
Manjusri, and Marpori, the hill on which the Potala stands, represents
Avalokiteśvara
In Buddhism, Avalokiteśvara ( Sanskrit: अवलोकितेश्वर, IPA: ) is a bodhisattva who embodies the compassion of all Buddhas. He has 108 avatars, one notable avatar being Padmapāṇi (lotus bearer). He is variably depicte ...
.
History
The site on which the Potala Palace rises is built over a palace erected by
Songtsen Gampo
Songtsen Gampo (; 569–649? 650), also Songzan Ganbu (), was the 33rd Tibetan king and founder of the Tibetan Empire, and is traditionally credited with the introduction of Buddhism to Tibet, influenced by his Nepali consort Bhrikuti, of Nepal ...
on the Red Hill. 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.
Lozang Gyatso, the Great Fifth Dalai Lama, started the construction of the modern Potala Palace in 1645
after one of his spiritual advisers, Konchog Chophel (died 1646), pointed out that the site was ideal as a seat of government, situated as it is between
Drepung and
Sera monasteries and the old city of Lhasa.
The external structure was built in 3 years, while the interior, together with its furnishings, took 45 years to complete. The Dalai Lama and his government moved into the Potrang Karpo ('White Palace') in 1649.
Construction lasted until 1694,
[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.] 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.
The new palace got its name from a hill on
Cape Comorin
Kanniyakumari (; , referring to Devi Kanya Kumari), also known as Cape Comorin, is a city in Kanniyakumari district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. It is the southern tip of the Indian subcontinent and the southernmost city in mainland I ...
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".
The palace was moderately damaged during the
Tibetan uprising against the Chinese in 1959, when Chinese shells were launched into the palace's windows. Before Chamdo Jampa Kalden was shot and taken prisoner by soldiers of the
People's Liberation Army
The People's Liberation Army (PLA) is the principal military force of the People's Republic of China and the armed wing of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The PLA consists of five service branches: the Ground Force, Navy, Air Force, ...
, 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." It also escaped damage during the
Cultural Revolution
The Cultural Revolution, formally known as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, was a sociopolitical movement in the People's Republic of China (PRC) launched by Mao Zedong in 1966, and lasting until his death in 1976. Its stated go ...
in 1966 through the personal intervention of
Zhou Enlai
Zhou Enlai (; 5 March 1898 – 8 January 1976) was a Chinese statesman and military officer who served as the first premier of the People's Republic of China from 1 October 1949 until his death on 8 January 1976. Zhou served under Chairman Ma ...
, who was then the
Premier of the People's Republic of China
The premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, commonly called the premier of China and sometimes also referred to as the prime minister, is the head of government of China and leader of the State Council. The premier is ...
. 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".
The Potala Palace was inscribed to the
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. I ...
World Heritage List
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
in 1994. In 2000 and 2001,
Jokhang Temple
The Jokhang (, ), also known as the Qoikang Monastery, Jokang, Jokhang Temple, Jokhang Monastery and Zuglagkang ( or Tsuklakang), is a Buddhist temple in Barkhor Square in Lhasa, the capital city of Tibet Autonomous Region of China. Tibetans, in ...
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. The Chinese government responded by enacting a rule barring the building of any structure taller than 21 metres in the area. UNESCO was also concerned over the materials used during the restoration of the palace, which commenced in 2002 at a cost of RMB180 million (US$22.5 million), although the palace's director, Qiangba Gesang, has clarified that only traditional materials and craftsmanship were used. The palace has also received restoration works between 1989 and 1994, costing RMB55 million (US$6.875 million).
The number of visitors to the palace was restricted to 1,600 a day, with opening hours reduced to six hours daily to avoid over-crowding from 1 May 2003. The palace was receiving an average of 1,500 a day prior to the introduction of the quota, sometimes peaking to over 5,000 in one day. Visits to the structure's roof were banned after restoration efforts were completed in 2006 to avoid further structural damage. 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. 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.
in February 2022 Tibetan pop star
Tsewang Norbu
Tsewang Norbu (; ; 9 October 1996 – 25 February 2022) was a Tibetan singer who performed in Tibetan, Mandarin Chinese, and English. He rose to national prominence in China through his performances in various variety shows.
On 25 February 2022 ...
set himself on fire in front of the Potala Palace and died. The
Foreign Ministry of China has disputed this.
Architecture
Built at an altitude of 3,700 m (12,100 ft), on the side of Ri Marpo ('Red Mountain') in the centre of Lhasa Valley, 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
A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls. This idea was widely used in ancient Greece and has influenced many c ...
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.
The central part of this group of buildings rises in a vast quadrangular mass above its satellites to a great height, terminating in gilt canopies similar to those on the
Jokhang. This central member of Potala is called the "red palace" from its crimson colour, which distinguishes it from the rest. It contains the principal halls and chapels and shrines of past Dalai Lamas. There is in these much rich decorative painting, with jewelled work, carving and other ornamentation.
The lower white frontage on the south side of the palace was used to hoist two gigantic thangkas joined representing the figures of
Tara and
Sakyamuni during the Sertreng Festival on the 30th day of the second Tibetan month.
The Chinese
Putuo Zongcheng Temple
The Putuo Zongcheng Temple (, ) of Chengde, Hebei province, China is a Qing dynasty era Buddhist temple complex built between 1767 and 1771,Foret, 155. during the reign of the Qianlong Emperor (1735–1796). It is located near the Chengde Mountai ...
, also a
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. I ...
World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...
, 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
''Good Morning America'' (often abbreviated as ''GMA'') is an American morning television program that is broadcast on ABC. It debuted on November 3, 1975, and first expanded to weekends with the debut of a Sunday edition on January 3, 1993. ...
'' and newspaper ''
USA Today
''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virg ...
'' as one of the "
New Seven Wonders".
The nine-storey
Leh Palace in
Leh, Ladakh, India built by King
Sengge Namgyal (c. 1570–1642), was a precursor of the Potala Palace.
The Lhasa Zhol Pillars
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'', which originally stood outside the South entrance to the village. Today the pillar stands neglected to the East of the Liberation Square, on the South side of Beijing Avenue.
The ''doring chima'' dates as far back as circa 764, "or only a little later", and is inscribed with what may be the oldest known example of Tibetan writing.
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
Chang'an (; ) is the traditional name of Xi'an. The site had been settled since Neolithic times, during which the Yangshao culture was established in Banpo, in the city's suburbs. Furthermore, in the northern vicinity of modern Xi'an, Qin ...
(modern
Xian) in 763 during which the Tibetans temporarily installed as Emperor a relative of Princess Jincheng Gongzhu (Kim-sheng Kong co), the Chinese wife of
Trisong Detsen
Tri Songdetsen () was the son of Me Agtsom, the 38th emperor of Tibet. He ruled from AD 755 until 797 or 804. Tri Songdetsen was the second of the Three Dharma Kings of Tibet, playing a pivotal role in the introduction of Buddhism to Tibet and th ...
's father,
Me Agtsom.
[Beckwith (1987), p. 148.]
Gallery
File:Potala Palace (23651397662).jpg, View showing recent Western Gate shops, highway, 2015
File:Potala-from-behind 07-2005.jpg, View of the Potala from behind, seen from Ching Drol Chi Ling
File:Potala Palace HQ.jpg, alt=, Potala Palace with Lhasa in the foreground
File:The quiet and peaceful park, pond, and chapel behind the Potala.jpg, The park, pond, and chapel behind the Potala
File:Deatail of decoration in Potala.jpg, Detail of decoration in Potala
File:Mendicant monk. Lhasa 1993.jpg, Mendicant
A mendicant (from la, mendicans, "begging") is one who practices mendicancy, relying chiefly or exclusively on alms to survive. In principle, mendicant religious orders own little property, either individually or collectively, and in many ins ...
monk at base of Potala, 1993
See also
*
Norbulingka, the Dalai Lama's former summer palace
*
Jokhang Temple Monastery
The Jokhang (, ), also known as the Qoikang Monastery, Jokang, Jokhang Temple, Jokhang Monastery and Zuglagkang ( or Tsuklakang), is a Buddhist temple in Barkhor Square in Lhasa, the capital city of Tibet Autonomous Region of China. Tibetans, in ...
*
Dhvaja
*''
Kundun'', a 1997 film about the Dalai Lama, chiefly set inside the palace
*''
Seven Years in Tibet
''Seven Years in Tibet: My Life Before, During and After'' (1952; german: Sieben Jahre in Tibet. Mein Leben am Hofe des Dalai Lama; 1954 in English) is an autobiographical travel book written by Austrian mountaineer and Nazi SS sergeant Hein ...
''
*
Leh Palace
*
Mount Putuo
Footnotes
References
* (See p. 530.)
*
Beckwith, Christopher I.
Christopher I. Beckwith (born October 23, 1945) is an American philologist and distinguished professor in the Department of Central Eurasian Studies at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana.
He has a B.A. in Chinese from Ohio State Univer ...
(1987). ''The Tibetan Empire in Central Asia''. Princeton University Press. Princeton, New Jersey. .
* "Reading the Potala". Peter Bishop. In: ''Sacred Spaces and Powerful Places in Tibetan Culture: A Collection of Essays''. (1999) Edited by Toni Huber, pp. 367–388. The Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, Dharamsala, H.P., India. .
* 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. .
*
Richardson, Hugh E.
Hugh Edward Richardson (22 December 1905 – 3 December 2000) was an Indian Civil Service officer, British diplomat and Tibetologist. His academic work focused on the history of the Tibetan empire, and in particular on epigraphy. He was amo ...
(1984) ''Tibet & Its History''. 1st edition 1962. Second Edition, Revised and Updated. Shambhala Publications. Boston .
* Richardson, Hugh E. (1985). ''A Corpus of Early Tibetan Inscriptions''. Royal Asiatic Society. .
* Snellgrove, David & Hugh Richardson. (1995). ''A Cultural History of Tibet''. 1st edition 1968. 1995 edition with new material. Shambhala. Boston & London. .
* von Schroeder, Ulrich. (1981). ''Indo-Tibetan Bronzes''. (608 pages, 1244 illustrations). Hong Kong: Visual Dharma Publications Ltd.
* 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.
* von Schroeder, Ulrich. 2008. ''108 Buddhist Statues in Tibet''. (212 p., 112 colour illustrations) (DVD with 527 digital photographs). Chicago: Serindia Publications.
External links
Potala Palaceat
UNESCO.orgPotala Palacewith related biographies, art, and timelines (The Treasury of Lives)
Potala(Tibetan and Himalayan Digital Library)
*
ttps://web.archive.org/web/20070224150028/http://www.thdl.org/texts/reprints/kailash/kailash_07_01_01.pdf Research work on Buddhism in IndiaGoogle Maps location of Potala PalaceThree-dimensional rendering of Potala Palace
*
The Potala palace(archived)
Potala Palace Tourin 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.
{{Authority control
Buddhist buildings in Tibet
Buildings and structures in Lhasa
Dzongs in Tibet
Palaces in Tibet
Royal residences in Tibet
Buddhist pilgrimage sites in China
Houses completed in 1694
1640s establishments in Tibet
World Heritage Sites in Tibet
1694 establishments in Asia
Major National Historical and Cultural Sites in Tibet
History of Lhasa