Erected in the seventh century, the Potala Palace was damaged by lightning and afterwards almost entirely destroyed in the times of Landarma who was a bitter opponent of Tibetan Buddhism. But in the 17th century under the Fifth Dalai Lama, the palace was restored to its original form.


Pilgrims perform their duty in various ways. For example, they repeatedly bow their upper bodies until their heads touch the ground or their bodies lie flat on the ground, prostrating. Another well-known ritual is to spin prayer wheels, which range from handheld units that are common souvenirs, to huge ones that stand several meters high. Another practice is to contribute yak butter, which is used to light the oil lamps in temples and monasteries. Another donation pilgrims make is money. They simply put the coins or small notes everywhere, especially near the Buddha statues, and the money is not frequently collected.
With its majestic splendor, the Potala Palace would impress the inhabitants of any world capital. Thus the humble Tibetan pilgrim, who has always lived in a yak hair tent, must view the Potala Palace with great reverence. It is amazing to experience that this 13-storey structure containing 999 rooms, which was built on a steep mountain in Lhasa.


Unlike the majority of the famous architectural wonders of China, the Potala Palace is built on a vertical flat. The palace dominates the city; in fact it dominates the entire Tibet and captures one's attention immediately. Its walls are slanted like the sides of a condensed Great Wall, seeming to reproduce the outline of mountain slopes

For detailed information, please drop in an email and you will get a tailor-made itinerary exclusively for your tour calendar and interest.
john@chinahuangshan.com congzhang35@hotmail.com