Potala Palace Tours and Vacation Packages

Overview

Potala Palace is located in Lhasa, the autonomous province of Tibet in southwestern China. Standing 12,300 ft (3,749 m) above sea level, the dzong is the highest palace in the world. It was once the seat of the Tibetan government and the residence of the Dalai Lama until the mid-18th century when it became his winter palace. The palace was commissioned by Emperor Songtsen Gampo, the founder of the Tibetan Empire, in the 7th century AD.

The exterior of the palace is painted in contrasting colours of red, white, and yellow, which look striking against the blue-washed sky. The main complex is divided into the White Palace and the Red Palace. The White Palace has the living quarters, meditation houses, and reception rooms of the Dalai Lamas. The Red Palace is home to chapels, halls, and eight golden stupas that contain the mummified bodies of the deceased Dalai Lamas. It displays beautiful murals and scroll paintings and houses thousands of rare original Buddhist scriptures. The authorities limit the number of daily visitors to prevent overcrowding. The allowed visit duration is one hour.