Potala Palace - indestructible symbol of Tibet

Lhasa - "the dwelling place of the gods", it was chosen by the Tibetan kings as the capital of the state. Until now, researchers of Central Asia can not unravel all the secrets of the city to the end. The riddles of Lhasa include the centuries-old structure - the Potala Palace. With its beauty and grandeur, it strikes people no one hundred years. Every year thousands of tourists aspire to this place of Buddhist pilgrimage.

The city of Lhasa. Potala Palace - the main attraction

The Chinese city of Lhasa is located in the valley of the beautiful river Jichu, which flows through the Tibetan plateau. Above sea level, Lhasa is at an altitude of 3680 meters. For many years the residence of the Dalai Lama was here. Only in 1979 the city became accessible to tourists, before this time the entrance to foreigners was closed here. Barkhor Street passes through the center in a ring. If you believe the legends, in the center of this ring was a lake, it was inhabited by evil spirit. In order for the townspeople to live peacefully, the lake fell asleep, and at this place the Jokhang monastery was built. In the Old City of Lhasa there are many valuable historical monuments: the monasteries of Sera, Drepung, Ganden, but the most significant one is the Tibetan Potala Palace. For many years he surprises visitors with its unusual, rare architecture, magnificent style. To admire the beauty and uniqueness of the palace, thousands of travelers come to Tibet. Potala - a symbol of Buddhism - is located on the Red Hill, which is surrounded by the Lhasa Valley.

Potala Palace, Tibet: the history of the construction

As the legend says, the Potala Palace was originally built by King Srontzangambo in the 7th century. The building was built for the princess Wencheng, his future wife. The building stretches from the foot to the top of the mountain, it united thousands of buildings made in the Tibetan style. During the military operations of those years, the Tufan dynasty fell, and many halls of the palace were simply destroyed. Over time, natural disasters also badly affected the condition of the walls of the structure. Reconstruction began only in 1645. At that time, the Qing government defined the ruler of Tibet - Dalai Lama the Fifth. The palace became his residence.

The Potala Palace consisted of two parts - the White and the Red. The White Palace was built in 1653, and in 1694 completed the erection of the Red. The total height of the building from the ground, stone, wood was 117 meters. The width of the palace is 335 meters. Thirteen floors occupy more than 130 thousand square meters, now the whole 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 us consider in more detail what the Potala Palace looks like. As mentioned above, it consists of the spirit of the parts - White and Red. In the White Palace are the chambers of the Dalai Lama, the Red Palace serves as the venue for the services. In the courtyard built economic premises and cells monks. It is best to begin the inspection of the Red Palace from the upper rooms, in particular from the chapel of Maitreya. The entrances to the chapels are located on the lowest tier. The western part is occupied by the tombs of the Dalai Lama, and here are the government offices. In the solar pavilion he lived, worked, wrote the sacred texts of the Dalai Lama, was in charge of management. A large pavilion was used for official ceremonies. The Pabalakan Hall and the Fa-Wan Cave, which is considered a special part, remained from the constructions of the 7th century.

Raising to Potala. Interesting places

Buddha's holy place is the Potala Palace, Tibet annually hosts thousands of pilgrims. The ascent to the palace begins at the foot of the mountain with a white wall. A sinuous stone path leads to the eastern gate, on which four Alohans are depicted. The pavilion can be accessed through the palace wall, its height is four meters.

In the middle of the road, a huge terrace appears, its area is 1600 square meters. From here, the Dalai Lama addressed the believers gathered here. Further along the corridor you can climb to the largest pavilion - Pozhangangabu Tsotsinsya. It was here in 1653 that religious ceremonies were held, when the Emperor Shunzhi saluted the Dalai Lama with the Fifth Gold Seal and the letter. At the same time, his elevation to the rank of saints took place.

Everywhere the Potala Palace is depicted, the part where there are eight tombs, the so-called pagodas, are visible. The most luxurious and large is the Dalai Lama's fifth pagoda. Covered it with sheet gold, it was used 3721 kg. The tomb is encrusted with rare precious stones.

The largest and oldest part of the palace

The largest pavilion of Pozhozhmabo keeps a memorial plaque on which are left inscriptions by the Qing emperor Qianlong and amazing curtains donated by the Emperor Kangxi. Tradition says: in order to weave these curtains, a special workshop was built, for the manufacture of them it took a whole year. The oldest part of the palace is the Snyagal Pavilion. It is here that for many years the sculptures of the great king Sronzangambo, all dignitaries and princess Wencheng are kept. Sasronlangze - the highest pavilion, here victims were brought to the 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, indescribable beauty building. Golden roofs, granite walls, graceful cornices with gilded ornaments give the building a fabulous, fantastic image. On colored wall paintings - drawings of Buddhas and Alohans, a true reproduction of life, the activities of the Dalai Lama of the Fifth. It also reflects the solemn entry of Princess Wencheng into Tibet. The paintings reflect the entire development of Buddhism, the ancient Tibetan culture. The oldest architectural ensemble - the Potala Palace - is an indestructible symbol of Tibet, the fruit of the mind, the talent of the Chinese people. It shows the cultural unity between Han Chinese and Tibetans.