The Potala Palace looks like a fortress on top of Marpo Ri in Lhasa, Tibet. It symbolizes Lhasa which means "sacred land," and is a treasured part of Tibetan culture, religion and history. The palace was first constructed in 637 A.D. by Emperor Songtsen Gampo to greet his princess and as a meditation retreat.
The Fifth Dalai Lama amplified the construction of the palace in 1645 and it continued to be the chief residence of the Dalai Lama until the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, fled to India after the failure of the Tibetan uprising in 1959. The Chinese government has since made the Potala Palace into a museum. The Palace stands at the top of the hill with the highest point reaching a majestic 12,359 feet high, with a red wing, a white wing, Buddhist study halls, chapels and the tomb of the 13th Dalai Lama.
The Fifth Dalai Lama amplified the construction of the palace in 1645 and it continued to be the chief residence of the Dalai Lama until the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, fled to India after the failure of the Tibetan uprising in 1959. The Chinese government has since made the Potala Palace into a museum. The Palace stands at the top of the hill with the highest point reaching a majestic 12,359 feet high, with a red wing, a white wing, Buddhist study halls, chapels and the tomb of the 13th Dalai Lama.
