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Photo: Lhasa Government, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
A stronghold probably existed on Red Hill as early as the 7th century AD when King Songtsen Gampo built a fortress on it for his two foreign wives. The palace was rebuilt by the Fifth Dalai Lama in three years, while the Thirteenth Dalai Lama extended and repaired it into what it is now. It became winter palace in 1755 when the Seventh Dalai Lama made the Norbulinka into a summer residence. With over 1,000 rooms, the Potala contained the living quarters of the Dalai Lamas while they lived, and their sumptuous golden tombs when they died. As the religious and political centre of old Tibet and the winter residence of Dalai Lamas, the palace witnessed the life of the Dalai Lamas and the important political and religious activities in the past centuries. Potala Palace also houses great amounts of rare cultural relics including the gold hand-written Buddhist scriptures, valuable gifts from the Chinese emperors and a lot of priceless antiques. Guided palace tours generally include one hour inside the palace; allow at least that much time to walk up and down the many steps leading up to and from the palace. The palace is 14 stories tall and any visit involves climbing a lot of stairs up/down. Make sure you are fully acclimated before visiting. The Potala Palace was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1994, the Jokhang Temple Monastery in 2000 and the Norbulingka Summer Palace in 2001.
Potala Palace is a museum complex in Lhasa, the capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region of China. It was formerly the winter palace of the Dalai Lamas, and from 1649 until 1959 served as the Dalai Lamas' residence. The palace complex became a museum following the annexation of Tibet by the People's Republic of China.
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Tsuglagkhang
Constructed in the 7th century AD to house the statues of Buddha that princesses Bhrikuti from Nepal and Wen Cheng from Tang Dynasty China brought as gifts for their future husband, King Songtsan Gampo. The temple has been enlarged many times over the centuries and now also houses statues of King Songtsan Gambo and his two famous foreign brides. However, the original statue of Jowo Sakyamuni Buddha that Princess Wen Cheng brought from Chang’an over 1300 years ago is definitely its most sacred and famous possession, and is perhaps the most venerated religious artifact in all of Tibet. The temple, a splendid four-floor building facing west under a guilded rooftop, is on Barkhor Square in the center of the old section of Lhasa.
驻藏大臣衙门遗址
This was the office and official residence of the amban, the Qing government's representative in Lhasa. The building, which was restored in 2013, houses a small museum, which focuses mainly on the history of the Qing government's relations with the Tibetan local authorities.
A circular street around the Jokhang Temple in the center of the old section of Lhasa, it is the oldest street in a traditional style in Tibet, where you can enjoy bargaining with vendors for local handicrafts. Barkhor Street is one of the most important religious paths along which pilgrims walk around Jokhang Temple while turning prayer wheels in their hands through centuries. Buddhist pilgrims walk or progress by body-lengths along the street clockwise every day late into the night.
西藏博物馆
Elaborate museum with artifacts reflecting the entire history of Tibet. Ask for a free audio tour in your language at the entrance. The museum presents a very Chinese view of the "Peaceful Liberation" of Tibet, but the museum is worth a visit.
It is about 1 km south of the Potala Palace - the Seventh Dalai Lama constructed the first summer palace in 1755 and each successive ruler added his own buildings. The complex contains a small zoo, botanical gardens, and a mansion from the 14th Dalai Lhama built in 1956~8. This was the place that the 14th Dalai Lama escaped from in 1959, and left for India. There is a sign outside the building that marks the mansion but it is not marked elsewhere in the park. You can only enter it from its east entrance and is the last stop on the recommended route in the park.
《文成公主》实景剧
A large-scale musical based on the life of Princess Wencheng. Features almost 1000 performers.