Potala Palace

Potala Palace is situated on the Red Hill of central Lhasa, it is the highest ancient palace in the world, 3,767.19m at the topmost point.Potala named after a holy hill in South India which name means "Abode of the Avalokitesvara (Buddha of Mercy)." Legend has it that in the 7th century, to greet his bride Princess Wen Cheng of the Tang Dynasty (618B.C. - 907B.C.) of China, What we see at present is the architecture of the Qing Dynasty (1644B.C. - 1911B.C.) and the continuous expanding work outcome since the 17th century.

Major Structures
Potala Palace is composed of 2 parts, the Red Palace as the center and the White Palace as two wings.

The Red Palace or Potrang Marpo is the highest part in central Potala Palace that is completely devoted to religious study and Buddhist prayer. It was painted to red to represent stateliness and power. It consists of a complicated layout of different halls, chapels and libraries on many levels with an array of smaller galleries and winding passages: The Great West Hall, Dharma Cave, The Saint's Chapel, The Tomb of the Thirteenth Dalai Lama and etc. The 725 sq meters (about 7,804 sq ft) Great West Hall is the largest hall of Potala Palace, with beautiful murals painted on its inner walls. Around the Great West Hall are three chapels, the east chapel, the north chapel as well as the south chapel. The Dharma Cave and the Saint's Chapel are the only two remained constructions of the 7th century with the statues of Songtsen Gampo, Princess Wen Cheng, and Princess Bhrikuti inside.

Adminssion Fee: CNY 100 (Nov. 1-Apr. 30); CNY 200 (May 1-Oct.31)
Free for children under 1.3m and the old aged above 70.
Travel Tips: Only 2300 tickets are issued each day, 1600 for the travel agents and 700 for individual tourists, only 1 hour visit in peak travel season

Opening Hours: 09:00 - 16:00 except holidays and major events