Potala Palace is the largest multi-storey buildings in Tibet. This place is situated in the red hills, the center of Lhasa, Tibet. That is why the Potala Palace at that time called the Palace of Bukit Merah.
Potala was built on the power Songtsan Gambo, Tibetan dynasty the 7th century AD. From then on the Potala Palace became the center of politics, religion, as well as the Dalai Lama's residence from age to age.
Two centuries later, the palace was destroyed charisma Tibet descended into chaos because of the prolonged war. Istana Bukit Merah was gradually abandoned.
Only in the mid-17th century, the Potala was rebuilt by the 5th Dalai. Renovation of the palace was nicknamed 'Pearl on the roof of the World' is spending over 50 years. Development continued for three hundred years old with various additions and expansion.
13-story Potala, 110 meters high, stone and wood structure. Palace walls made of granite, the most up to five meters thick. The palace has many rooms, and functionality. White palace in the east as the abode of the Dalai Lama.
Another room is often the main hall is called the Red Palace, where the spirits of the Dalai Lama pagoda halls throughout the ages and a variety of Buddhist worship space. Among them, the most beautiful is the spirit of the Dalai Lama pagoda hall Losan Jiacuo V as high as 15 meters.
Essentially rectangular and circular roof. Dalai Lama V's body is stored in it after preserved fragrance materials and other materials. Pagoda is 3724 kilograms of gold plated and encrusted with over 15 thousand diamonds, emeralds, pearls, jade and agate.
Placed on the pedestal pagoda are various tools for prayer ceremonies. West hall is the living spirit of the Dalai Lama pagoda V, is the largest hall in the Red Palace, in which there are 48 large wooden pole twenty feet high.
In the West Hall of the Buddha statues there, as well as animals such as lions and elephants made of wood. In the construction of the Potala in the 17th century and the expansion after that, brought in the best painters in the area of Tibet.
They were asked to make tens of thousands of beautiful frescoes. All the court room, foyer, hallway and porch decorated with frescoes of various themes. Start of the story and characters of history, a story book of Buddhism, there are also reflecting the building, customs, sports and recreation.
In addition, in the Potala Palace are many images stored bobbin, wood and stone carvings, sculptures and other lands as well as Tibetan rugs, ceramics, jade and a large number of traditional crafts from the 17th century.
They were not only have high artistic value, but also reflects the history of cultural contacts and exchanges between the ethnic Tibetan and ethnic Han and other ethnic groups for a thousand years.