• Potala Palace

• Name in Chinese characters: 布达拉宫
• Name in Pinyin: Bùdálā Gōng
• Name in local script: པོ་ཏ་ལ
• Name in local Latin script: Bodala

• General Overview

  The Potala Palace is one of the most famous images associated with Tibet. It's name is derived from Mount Potala, the traditional home of Chenrezig, the Tibetan name for Avalokitasvara, the Buddha of Compassion. It was constructed on the orders of the Fifth Dalai Lama and was then the winter home for his successors until 1959.

  The Potala Palace sits atop Red Hill, a site chosen for its position between the Drepung and Sera Monasteries, a good way to reconcile their differences and enhance the status of the Dalai Lama. There may have been an earlier fortress on this site but now there are two conjoined constructions with 13 stories and over 10 000 rooms. Construction took 3 years to complete, with another 40 or more years of interior works.

  The White Palace contains the living quarters of the Dalai Lama, offices and other secular rooms.

  The Red Palace is the religious centre and contains great Halls and Chapels where study and prayer were devoted to particular subjects and deities.

  The Potala Palace was listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1994.

  Extensive renovations were carried out from 2002.

  Attractions For Visitors

  Since 2003 there have been a number of restrictions placed upon visitors to the Potala Palace ostensibly to protect against over-crowding and potential damage. Opening is limited to 6 hours per day with a maximum number of visitors in that period also limited - usually to 2300. With demand high, this limit is soon reached and, inevitably, some Lhasa visitors are disappointed by not being able to gain entrance. Visits are also hurried along with groups being timed through. The peak months for visitors are July through to September and those who consider a visit essential should avoid these months and look even for a winter visit when tourist numbers are at their lowest.

  All visits follow the same general route as this one-way flow from top to bottom keeps 'traffic' moving.

  For many visitors the Saint's Chapel, the holiest location that visitors can see, is one of the most memorable not least because Yak butter lamps through the ages have left an incredibly pungent smell.

  The living quarters of the Dalai Lama also feature on most people's list of memorable spots, though the quarters here are much more traditional than those of the Norbulingka and lack any great surprises.

  The long-drop toilet high over the cliff-face at the very start of the visit is an unusual but popular attraction.

  The following China Journeys Extensions include a visit to the Potala Palace:

  • Beyond Chengdu: Lhasa
  • Beyond Chengdu: Tibet
  
  
  
• 
  
  

  ---

  
  
  

• Current Comments

  4 comments so far (post your own)

  Hi Patsy
  
  There are planty of open air options - the Norbulingka and big monasteries have extensive grounds. Try a smaller monastery for an experience without many visitors. An early morning walk around the Barkhor could be the ideal solution

  Posted by China Journeys on Sun 1 Apr, 2012

  The Palace viewing is likely to be fairly short. Are there other attractions nearby where the number of visitors will be small, possibly in the open air?

  Posted by PatsyS on Sat 31 Mar, 2012

  Hi Lucas
  
  As an idea (temperatures in degrees celsius):
  
  November: max 18 min -5, average daytime 9
  December: max 14 min -9, average daytime 5
  January: max 13 min -11, average daytime 6
  February: max 15 min -8, average daytime 7
  
  You can see that the temperature drops considerably at night and so you would need to be prepared with a down jacket or similar - but hotels and restaurants are comfortably warm so this is no great endurance test by any means.

  Posted by China Journeys on Tue 7 Feb, 2012

  You say go in the winter when its less crowded. How cold is it then

  Posted by Lucas on Tue 7 Feb, 2012

  Leave your comment:
  Name:
  Email:
  Comments:
  Please note: comments may take some time to appear, typically about one hour.
  We try to respond to all comments within 24 hours. There may be times when this is not possible.
  Anti-spam check. Please type the single digit indicated by the text number below:
  Five:
  	Note: Emails will not be visible or used in any way, and are not required. Please keep comments relevant. Any content deemed inappropriate or offensive may be edited and/or deleted. No HTML code is allowed. Line breaks will be converted automatically. Please use BBCode to format your text.

  ---

  If you like this, please spread the word

  Bookmark this on Delicious

  
  
  

Get Recommendations

• Yunnan And Yangtse

  

  This journey combines the excitement of discovery in remote Yunnan with a comfortable Yangtse Cruise and a comprehensive look at the most popular sites.

  Full holiday details ...

  From £ 3,290
• Minority Rapport

  

  Guizhou Province has always been remote. It is now becoming easier to travel there so be amongst the first to discover the rich cultural legacy of this isolation before it too moves into the modern world.

  Full holiday details ...

  From £ 1,895
• Going Cloud Way

  

  The minority groups in Yunnan have been known as the Coloured Clouds, a reference to the beautiful clothing worn, especially by the ladies. Our journey takes us south-west to their homelands.

  Full holiday details ...

  From £ 2,050
• Land Of The Setting Sun

  

  We plunge straight into a very different country by starting our journey out west in Lanzhou. Already there is a heavy influence of the Muslim world indicating that you are on the route of the ancient Silk Road.

  Full holiday details ...

  From £ 2,850

24/7 Sales Support:
   UK +44 (0)844 567 0953
   USA +1-877-526-3979