Lhasa and Potala Palace

Lhasa, the capital of China's Tibet Autonomous Region, has a history of more than 1,300 years. It is the political, economic, cultural and transport center of the region. Lhasa covers an area of close to 30,000 square km. It has a downtown of 544 square km and a population of 400,000; 140,000 of its people live in the downtown area. Lhasa is home to the Tibetan, Han, and Hui peoples, as well as many other ethnic groups, but the Tibetan ethnic group makes up 87 percent of the total population.
Lhasa has beautiful scenery. The Lhasa River, known as the "merry blue waves," runs through the snow-covered peaks and gullies of the Nyainqentanglha Mountains, extending 315 km. The river empties into the Yarlung Zangbo River at Quxu, forming a scenic wonder that features blue and white water waves.

The ancient city of Lhasa stands by the Lhasa River. Inside the city towers the Potala Palace. The city features a combination of traditional and modern things, including prayer wheels and computers.

Located at the bottom of a small basin surrounded by mountains, Lhasa has an elevation of 3,650 meters and sits at 91'06E and 29'36N, the center of the Tibet Plateau. Blessed with flat land and mild weather, Lhasa is free of frigid winters and unbearably hot summers, having an annual average daily temperature of 8 degrees C (43 degrees F). It enjoys 3,000 hours of sunlight annually, much more than all other cities in this regard, giving the city its title of "sunlit city."

Lhasa enjoys an annual precipitation of 500 mm. It rains mainly in July, August and September. The rainy seasons in the summer and fall are the best seasons of the year, when it rains mostly at night, and is sunny in the daytime.

Tourism in Lhasa:
In Lhasa, a holy city rich in tourist resources, there are eight major tourist services, including the Tibet Tourism Corporation and the Lhasa Municipal Tourist Service. There are 13 hotels that accommodate foreign tourist services; they include the Lhasa Holiday Inn, the Tibet Hotel, the Sunlight Hotel, the Snowland Hotel, and the Yak Hotel. Many restaurants are designated to serve foreign tourists, who are treated to their Chinese food, Tibetan food, and Western food.

Visitors to Lhasa are surrounded by ancient castles, monasteries, ruins, and streets. There are also gardens, markets, and emerald mountains in the surrounding area. Visitors are intoxicated by the beauty of the Nyainqentanglha Peak and the Nam Co Lake (both to the northwest of Lhasa); the Lhasa River, the Yarlung Zangbo River, and the Yumzhog Yumco Lake (all to the south of the city); the Yarlung Zangbo Grand Cannon and the Namjagbarwa Peak in Nyingchi in eastern Tibet; and the Yangbajain Geothermal Power Station. Tourist departments organize the Lhasa Culture Tour, the Scientific Exploration Tour, the Moun-taineering Tour, the Festival Tour, the Worshipping Tour and the Trekking Tour. These activities make it possible for visitors to enjoy themselves with the picturesque landscapes, folklore, culture, and religion in Tibet.

       

Potala Palace:
The majestic Potala Palace with its glistening roofs is the pinnacle of the labor and wisdom of the Tibetan race. It is a wonder in the history of Oriental architecture, and the pride of the lands of snow. It is symbol of the ancient city of Lhasa, and also a spot unique to Tibet.

It was built by Tubo King Songtsan Gambo in the 7th century. It underwent renovation during the time of the 5th Dalai Lama Ngawang Lhosang Gyamco in the 17th century. However, the Potala Palace didn't undergo a thorough repair until the 1980s. Standing atop the Red Hill, the Potala Palace was built along the slope of the hill. It extends 360 meters from east to west and 140 meters from south to north. Rising 13 stories, the palace is 115.7 meters tall. Palace walls were erected with granite slabs, the thickest part measuring five meters.

The Potala Palace is made up by the White and Red Palaces, with the Red Palace in the center flanked on both sides by the White Palace. The Red Palace houses Buddha halls and stupas for the remains of the successive generations of the Dalai Lama. The White Palace, built entirely of granite slabs, is where the Dalai Lamas of various generations live and handle government and Buddhist affairs. Its western wing contains dorms for monks. When visitors reach the Potala Palace from the south, they will arrive at the giant City Gate and Shoi Village, which holds many ancient buildings down a zigzagging stone path leading to the Puncog Duinam Gate. Upon going through the gate, they will reach the Deyang Hall Square, where various generations of the Dalai Lama, senior monks and lay officials watched Tibetan opera, singers and dance performances. East of the square is Zelhazha, the site of the old monk official school, and west of the square is the gate to the White House. Many priceless frescoes hang on the walls of the entrance hall, some depicting the construction of the Potala Palace and the Jokhang Monastery in the 7th century, and others illustrating the story of Tubo Minister Gar Tongtsan going to Chang'an (present-day Xi'an and capital of the Tang Dynasty) to greet Tang Princess Wencheng upon her arrival in Lhasa, where she married Tubo King Songtsan Gambo.

       

Coqenxag, the Eastern Hall, is where many generations of Dalai Lamas came to power and were enthroned upon reaching the stipulated age of 18. A horizontal board reading "Promoting Buddhism in Defense of the Border," written by Qing Dynasty Emperor Tongzhi, hangs above the entrance. The top floor contains two living chambers. As they enjoy sunshine all day long, the chambers are called the West Sunshine Hall (also called Nyiwei Soinam Legyi, which used to be the living chambers for the 13th Dalai Lama) and the East Sunshine Hall (also called Gaindain Namse, which used to be the living chambers for the 14th Dalai Lama). Major buildings of the Red Palace include the Hall for the Holy Stupas. The largest of the holy stupas is for the 5th Dalai Lama. Called Choiling Gyamgyia, "a grand building in the world," the stupa is 14.85 meters tall. Its base and body are wrapped in 110,000 taels of gold and inlaid with 1,500 gems. The Red Palace also holds a Western Hall. Also called Sishi Puncog, the Western Hall houses the stupa for the 5th Dalai Lama and its interior is a world of frescos telling stories of his life. One section depicts the 5th Dalai Lama paying homage to Qing Dynasty Emperor Shunzhi in Beijing in 1652. Galleries on each floor of the Red Palace contain many frescoes. The gallery on the second floor contains even more frescoes, including one which tells of the first construction of the Potala Palace through the commissioning of the Red Palace and the holding of the Lessor Grand Summons Ceremony. The highest point of the Red Palace is the Hall of Deterrence to the Three Worlds, or the Sasum Namgyal Hall. This hall enshrines the portrait of Emperor Qianlong and an imperial longevity tablet written in the four languages of Han, Tibetan, Mongolian and Manchurian.

Between the Red and White Palaces is Qoigyi Zhapu, or the Cave for the Prince of Dharma. Legend has it that this was the place Tubo King Songtsan Gambo and his wives Tang Dynasty Princess Wencheng and Nepalese Princess Bhributi practiced Buddhism. The statues of Songtsan Gambo, Princess Wencheng, Princess Bhributi, Mangsa Trijang, and Tubo Ministers Tome Sangbozha and Gar Tongtsan are enshrined inside the cave. Pagpa Lhakhang, the Hall of the Goddess of Mercy, which was built much earlier than other halls in the palace, is located at the top of Qoigyi Zhapu. Above the entrance is a panel with an inscription reading "Blissful Soil Nourishing Miraculous Fruits," also written by Qing Emperor Tongzhi.

On the top of the Potala Palace are seven of what we call Golden Tops, glistening in the sunshine. They follow Tibetan and Han architectural styles, and make the Potala Palace majestic and holy. Inside the palace are preserved numerous Buddhist scriptures, tangka painting scrolls, statues of Buddha, sculptures, brocades and silks produced during the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911), chinaware, gold and silver wares, golden sheets of appointment and golden seals of authority, which emperors of feudal Chinese rulers granted to Dalai Lamas of various generations, as well as a golden urn called Jinbenbaping, which Qing Emperor Qianlong had cast in his 57th year of reign (1792) for the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Erdeni. When one of the two Living Buddhas has demised, his soul boy would be determined by drawing a lot from the golden urn.