Potala Palace is the landmark of Lhasa and Tibet. Its history dates back to 630s, the time Songtsan Gambo, the King of Tibet, moved the capital to Lhasa. He ordered the establishment of Potala Palace for marrying Princess Wencheng in Tang Dynasty. Later, the 5th Dalai Lama and his government moved into Potala. Thus, the Potala was used as a winter palace and the chief residence of the Dalai Lama from that time on.
Potala Palace, at altitude of 3,756.5 meters above sea level, occupies an area of over 360,000 square meters (about 32 acres), measuring 360 meters from east to west and 270 meters from south to north. It has 13 stories, and is 117 meters high, contains over 1,000 rooms, 10,000 shrines and 200,000 statues. It is the world’s largest and most intact ancient castle-style complex located on the highest altitude. The walls of the Palace are over one meter in thickness, the thickest sections being five meters. They are painted with huge colorful murals, which make it beautiful and lively.
The Potala Palace is included in the first important national cultural relics protection list. In Dec. 1994, the UNESCO put the Potala Palace onto the World Cultural Heritage List. In 2001, the State Tourism Administration rated it as 4A tourism spot on the national level.
