Lhasa is the "habitat of the gods", it was chosen by the Tibetan kings as the capital of the state. Until now, researchers in Central Asia can not solve all the secrets of the city to the end. The mysteries of Lhasa include the centuries-old construction - the Potala Palace. With its beauty and grandeur, it affects people not one hundred years. Every year, thousands of tourists seek this place of Buddhist pilgrimage.
Lhasa city. Potala Palace - the main attraction
The Chinese city of Lhasa is located in the valley of the beautiful Jichu River, which flows along the Tibetan plateau. Above sea level, Lhasa is located at an altitude of 3680 meters. For many years the residence of the Dalai Lama was located here. Only in 1979, the city became accessible for tourists to visit, until this time, the entrance to foreigners here was closed. Barkhor Street goes round-the-clock through the center. According to tradition, in the center of this ring was a lake, an unclean force dwelt in it . In order for the townspeople to live in peace, the lake was filled up, and the Jokhang monastery was built on this place. In the Old City of Lhasa there are many valuable historical monuments: the monasteries of Sera, Drepung, Ganden, but the most significant can be called the Potala Tibetan palace. For many years, it surprises visitors with its unusualness, rare architecture, and magnificent style. Thousands of travelers come to Tibet to enjoy the beauty and uniqueness of the palace. Potala - a symbol of Buddhism - is located on Red Hill, which is surrounded by the Lhaska Valley.
Potala Palace, Tibet: history of construction
According to legend, initially the Potala Palace was built by the king of Sronzangambo in the 7th century. The construction was built for Princess Wencheng, his future wife. The building stretches from the foot to the top of the mountain, it united thousands of buildings made in the Tibetan style. During the hostilities of those years, the Tufan dynasty fell, and many of the halls of the palace were simply destroyed. Over time, natural disasters also badly affected the condition of the walls of the structure. Reconstruction began only in 1645. At that time, the Qing government determined the ruler of Tibet - the Dalai Lama of the Fifth. The palace became its residence.
The Potala Palace consisted of two parts - White and Red. The White Palace was built in 1653, and in 1694 they completed the construction of the Red. The total height of the building made of earth, stone, wood was 117 meters. The width of the palace is 335 meters. Thirteen floors occupy more than 130 thousand square meters, now the entire area covers 360 thousand square meters. The palace includes more than 1100 rooms and halls, 200 thousand of various sculptures, more than 10 thousand chapels.
Description of Potala Palace
Let's take a closer look at what the Potala Palace looks like. As mentioned above, it consists of the spirit of the parts - White and Red. The White Palace houses the chambers of the Dalai Lama, the Red Palace serves as a venue for services. In the courtyard, utility rooms and monks' cells were built. It is best to start exploring the Red Palace from the upper rooms, in particular from the Maitreya Chapel. The entrances to the chapel are located on the lowest tier. The western part is occupied by the tombs of the Dalai Lam, here are the office premises of the government. In the Solar Pavilion he lived, worked, wrote the sacred texts of the Dalai Lama, was engaged in management. The large pavilion was used for official ceremonies. Pabalakan Hall and Fa-Wang Cave, which is considered a special part, have remained from the structures of the VII century.
Ascent to Potala. Interesting places
A sacred place among Buddhists is the Potala Palace, Tibet annually hosts thousands of pilgrims. Ascent to the palace begins at the foot of the mountain with a blank wall. A winding stone path leads to the eastern gate, which depicts four alohani. You can get into the pavilion through the palace wall, its height is four meters.
In the middle of the path, a huge terrace appears, its area is 1600 square meters. From here, the Dalai Lama addressed the believers gathered here. Further along the corridor you can climb to the largest pavilion - Pochzhangabo Tsotsinsya. It was here that in 1653 religious ceremonies were held when the emperor Shunzhi bestowed the Dalai Lama of the Fifth with a gold seal and letter. Then he was elevated to the rank of saints.
Everywhere where the Potala Palace is depicted, the part where eight tombs, the so-called pagoda-stupas are located, is visible. The most luxurious and largest is the Dalai Lama Fifth Pagoda. It is covered with gold leaf, it was spent 3721 kg. The tomb is encrusted with rare precious stones.
The largest and oldest part of the palace
The largest pavilion of Pochjanmabo holds a memorial plaque on which are inscribed by the Qing Emperor Qianlong and amazing curtains donated by Emperor Kangxi. The legend says: in order to weave these curtains, a special workshop was built, it took them a year to make them. The oldest part of the palace is the Snowyagal Pavilion. Here, for many years, sculptures of the great king Sronzangangambo, all dignitaries and Princess Wencheng are kept. Sasronlantsze - the highest pavilion, sacrifices were made here for the commemorative tablets and the image of Emperor Qianlong.
The beauty of Potala Palace
Potala Palace appears before the gaze of travelers as a magnificent, indescribable beauty structure. Golden roofs, granite walls, elegant cornices with gilded decorations give the building a fabulous, fantastic image. On colored wall paintings - drawings of Buddhas and alohani, the true reproduction of life, the activities of the Dalai Lama of the Fifth. It also reflects the ceremonial entry of Princess Wencheng into Tibet. Murals reflect the entire development of Buddhism, the ancient Tibetan culture. The most ancient architectural ensemble - the Potala Palace - is an indestructible symbol of Tibet, the fruit of the mind, talent of the Chinese people. It testifies to the cultural unity between the Han and Tibetans.