The Potala Palace 2

The Potala Palace was built on the Marpo Hill which is the highest point in Lhasa. The first palace was built by Songsten Gampo in 631 and more buildings were added later on. The White Palce was built in 1645 and the Red Palce was completed in 1693. It has a 13-storey building and over 1,000 rooms. It was once the residence of the Dalai Lama and the centre of power in Tibet. It is the greatest monument in Tibet and a World Heritage Site since 1994. Unfortunately, photography is not allowed inside.

The entrance

The Four Heavenly Kings guarding the gate

The Potala Palace

We started our climb up the steps to the entrance of the palace. It is equal to climbing nine storeys of a building. Due to its high altitude, we had to make many stops along the way.

Many breaks before we reached the top

Finally, the East Entrance to the White Palace