Potala Palace

Initially constructed by Songtsen Gampo for Princess Wencheng in the Tubo Dynasty, it was continuously expanded in later centuries, integrating the functions of royal palace, Tibetan Buddhist monastery and defensive fortress. Divided into two main architectural parts: the white outer White Palace and the red central Red Palace. The White Palace served as the winter residence and political office of the Dalai Lama, featuring the grand Eastern Main Hall and the luxurious Sunlight Hall. The Red Palace focuses on religious worship and memorial halls, housing the magnificent stupa tombs of successive Dalai Lamas, among which the 5th Dalai Lama’s stupa is the most resplendent, inlaid with countless precious gems. Preserved inside are massive ancient murals, thangka paintings, Buddhist scriptures and sacred cultural relics, representing the pinnacle of Xizang’s traditional architecture, religion and art. It is the most iconic spiritual and geographical symbol of Lhasa and the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau.