Potala Palace

Brief Introduction

Situated¹ on Potala Mountain in Lhasa, capital of the Tibet Autonomous²（自治的，自主的） Region, the Potala Palace was first built in the 7th century, for the wedding of the Tibetan king Songtsan Gompo and Princess Wencheng of the Tang Empire. Since it was completed, the palace has been expanded many times. In 1645, the 5th Dalai Lama was appointed by the government of the Qing Dynasty as the local temporal and religious（宗教的，虔诚的） leader of Tibet, and the palace was reconstructed. In 1653, the 5th Dalai Lama moved from Drepung Monastery³ to the palace. Thus the Potala Palace became the political center of Tibet.

The Potala Palace's halls include worship and pagoda⁴（宝塔） halls, the North Square, the South Square and the Dragon King Pond. The Main Building has 13 floors, with a height of some 110 m and a width of about 360 m. It is surrounded by eight temples, where there are tens of thousands of Buddhist⁵ statues（雕像） . In the Buddhist Practice Cave are preserved the paintings of Songtsan Gompo and Wencheng made in the 7th century. Pagodas⁶ in the pagoda halls for each Dalai Lama are well built, in particular, the pagoda for the 5th Dalai Lama, which has a gold covering and is decorated with valuable jewels. Another important building is Qingsha, where the ministers for Tibetan affairs of the Qing Dynasty presided over the inauguration⁷（就职） of the Dalai Lamas.

Cultural Heritage

Built on a mountain slope over 4000 m above sea level, the Potala Palace is known as the Pearl on the Roof of the World. Its construction and furnishing reflect the superb（极好的，华丽的） skills of ancient artisans（工匠，技工） and the great attainments⁸ of Tibetan architecture.

Superb Architectural Achievements

The Potala Palace is composed of the Red Palace, the White Palace and some other accompanying buildings. These buildings were constructed at different times, but they are all in harmony with the surrounding terrain⁹, so that the whole building complex appears magnificent and integrated. It is a real ingenious（有创造性的，机灵的） masterpiece.

A Paradigm¹⁰ of Perfect Integration¹¹ of Buddhist Temples with Palace Buildings

The Potala Palace is the most successful structure integrating Tibetan Buddhism¹² with palace buildings among dozens of Tibetan monumental buildings.

Exquisite¹³ Furnishings

The Potala Palace is a model not only for its magnificent building, but also its delicate furnishings, including carvings¹⁴ and paintings.

Historical and Religious Implications

The Potala Palace used to be a center for both temporal and religious administration. It is closely connected with many important figures in the history of Tibet, such as Songtsan Gompo, Princess Wencheng and several generations of Dalai Lamas.

Tibetan Buddhism

Potala is a transliterated Sanskrit word. It is said that Tibetan Buddhists¹⁵ thought that Mt. Hongshan, the original name of the Potala Mountain, was as pure as Potaraka Mountain, the sacred place where Mother Buddha¹⁶ lived. So they renamed the mountain. When the palace was built, it was named after this sacred mountain.

Tibetan Buddhism believes in the doctrine¹⁷（教义，信条） of Three Realms, that is, the desire realm, the form realm and the form-free realm. The vertical¹⁸ layout of the Potala Palace -- from the Red Palace on the very top to the White Palace at the bottom -- corresponds to that Buddhist doctrine. Expanded size and striking contrast in layout fully¹⁹ demonstrate the power and dignity of Buddhism. The symbolic²¹ appearance of the palace indicates that only by detaching（分离） oneself from the secular²² world and converting to Buddhism can one reach the Heavenly Paradise.

Legends

Located in Bajiao Street, Lhasa, the Jokhang Monastery was first built in the middle of the 7th century. It is said that Lhasa was still a vast swampland（沼泽地） when Princess Wencheng arrived. She found no Buddhist temple there, and had to set up her statue of Sakyamuni in a tent. By observing the terrain of Lhasa, the princess believed that the whole place was just like the figure of a female demon²⁰（恶魔，魔鬼） . In order to conquer this demon, the princess decided²³ to fill in the swamp and build a large Buddhist temple. She hoped that the boundless²⁴ power of Sakyamuni could bring stability and prosperity to the local people. Her proposal was actively²⁵ supported by Songtsan Gompo. The king ordered the construction at once and he himself even did some of the labor²⁶. Two years later, the grand Jokhang Monastery was completed. As it attracted more and more monks²⁷, Lhasa became prosperous.

Jokhang Monastery

First built in 647, and located in the center of Lhasa City, the Jokhang Monastery is Tibet's oldest wood-and-stone building in existence. With a total area of 25,100 sq. m, the monastery consists of temples and scripture²⁸ halls. The main Buddhist Hall has four stories, and the gilded²⁹（镀金的，装饰的） copper³⁰ statue of Sakyamuni brought by Princess Wencheng is still worshipped in its own hall. In front of the monastery stands a monument to the establishment of alliance relations between the Tang Dynasty and Tibet, and the willow³¹ tree planted by Princess Wencheng, They are historical evidence of over 1,000 years of friendship between the Han and Tibetan peoples. On the front of the monument is inscribed³² the history of the monument in both the Chinese and Tibetan languages, and the process and significance of the establishment of the alliance.