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With its world-wide reputation, the Potala
stands on the Red Hill overlooking the Tibetan city of Lhasa as a major
national cultural monument under special protection.
The name of the large sacred Buddhist building complex is a derivation
from Samskrit Potalaka which is the mythical mountain abode of
Avalokitesvara, one of the Bodhisattvas (Buddhist saints). In this
connection Lhasa is popularly referred to as Second Mount Potalaka.
At an elevation of more than 3,700m, the Potala occupies an area of more
than 360,000m. Its 13-story main portion rises 117m. The whole complex,
consisting of halls, stupa-tomb halls (where the relics of the supreme
lamas are preserved), shrines, prayer rooms, monks' dormitories and
courtyards, is recognized as the world's highest and largest castle
palace.
Built against the terraced slope of the hill, the structures combine to
from a huge sky-scraping mass, reminiscent of the divine realm above the
mortal world. The granite walls elaborately decorated with soft white
thatch, the golden roofs decorated with big gilded bottles, the splendid
curtains and banners, join to form a unique structural wonder bearing
the striking colors red, white and yellow characteristic of Tibetan
architectural art, making the Potala an eminent example of a
constructive technology traditionally Tibetan.
As the winter residence of the successive Dalai Lamas, the Potala
formerly served as the center of local Tibetan theocratic rule, hosting
the major religious and political ceremonies since the reign of Dalai
Lama V (1917-1682), at the same time housing the relics of those
spiritual leaders.
The earliest project for the Potala started in A. D. 631 under Tibetan
King Srang00brtsan-sgam-po (617?-650), which included 999 royal rooms
plus a meditation chamber. That building was eventually destroyed by
thunderbolts and wars.
Dalai Lama V, in his effort to consolidate his theocracy, entrusted in
1645 Bsod-glan-rab-den, his minister, with the rebuilding of the portion
known as the White Palace of the Potala and also the enclosures, towers
and turrets. When the project was completed, the patriarch moved his
government to the new building from Bras-spungs Monastery.
Later in 1690 Prime Minister Bsam-rgya-mtsho enlarged the Red Palace as
a part of his project to build Dalai Lama V's stupa-tomb. The extension
was completed in 1693, which was to be followed by new projects
sponsored by later Dalai Lamas, including 5 golden roofs and a number of
accessory structures.
The Potala assumed its present form and scale in 1936 when Dalai Lama
XIII's (1870-1933) stupa-tomb was completed.
The main portion of the Potala contains the White Palace and the Red
Palace.
The 7-storey White Palace, Dalai Lamas' winter residence, also housed
the former local Tibetan government. There the most spacious hall, the
eastern Audience Hall (Sishe Phuntsok) occupies a central area of 717m
on the 4th floor. It was there that the Dalai Lamas were enthroned as
supreme Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leader and the region's temporal
ruler.
The 5th and 6th floors bore government offices and rooms for the
officials.
Two particular apartments on the top floor, reserved for the Living
Buddhas, were known as Eastern and Western Sunshine Apartments for their
long access to sunlight.
In contrast with the White Palace, the Red Palace consists mainly of the
supreme primates' stupa-tombs and the shrines.
Of the 8 stupa-tomb halls, the most magnificent is that for the cult of
Dalai Lama V. To the west his memorial hall, the Western Audience Hall,
covers 725m to be the largest hall in the Potala. Of the extensive
murals there the most notable one shows the patriarch's audience with
Chinese Emperor Shunzhi (reigned 1644-1661) in Beijing.
A tablet overhanging the patriarch's throne bears a Chinese phrase
meaning literally "The Source of Lotus Flowers" written by Chinese
Emperor Qianlong (1711-1799) himself. The phrase is a metaphoric
reference to the Buddhist paradise.
The Dharma-raja's Cave (Chogyal Dupup) and several other apartments
dating back from the reign of the Tu-bō Dynasty (629-846)are the
earliest Potala structures extant. They house a valuable collection of
statues, including the sculptural representation of King
Srang-brtsan-sgam-po, his consorts Princess Wencheng and Princess
Khri-btsun and his prime minister Blon-stong-btsan-po.
As the most elevated hall in the Red Palace, "The Best of the Three
Realms" (Sasum Namgyal) accomodates the image of Chinese Emperor
Qianlong and the statue of 11-face avalokitesvare cast in more than
10,000 ounces of silver as commissioned by Dalai Lama XIII. The remains
of that spiritual leader are preserved in a stupa in the neighboring
hall. Construction of that hall, begun in 1933, was not completed until
three years later. Thus it is the newest hall in the whole complex.
The names of other sanctuaries include
"The Prominent Master's" (Lama Lhakhang),
"The Example of Samantabhadra" (Kunzang Jedokhang),
"The Wheel of Time" (Dukor Lhakhang),
"Sakyamuni of Loving Kindness" (Thupwang Lhakhang),
"Sakyamuni of Virtues" (Zegya Lhakhang),
"The Buddha of Medicines's",
"The Great Gradual Path" (Lamring Lhakhang),
"The True Word" (Rigzin Lhakhang), and
"The Sacred Succession" (trungrab Lhakhang).
Subordinate constructions to the Potala include the Lam-rgyal Abbey, the
Senior Seminary, the monks' dormitories and the eastern and western
courtyards on the hill, while at the foot of the hill stands the houses
once occupied by the local government bureaus and institutions, the
printing press for Buddhist canonical writings as well as a jail, the
stables and the backyard garden.
Through more than 300 years the Potala has accumulated an enormous
collection of monuments and relics. There are murals covering totally
more than 2,500m, nearly 1,000 stupas, about 10,000 statues and as many
thang-ka paintings, the religious library there includes puttra-leaf
scriptures and the Bka'-'gyur (Buddhas's Teachings) volumes.
There are also a unique collection of golden diplomas and jade seals
granted to successive Dalai lamas by Chinese Ming (1356-1644) and Qing
(1644-1911) emperors to re-affirm the official ties between the local
Tibetan administration and the central Chinese government. And the gold
and silver artifacts, porcelain vessels, enamelwork, jade ware, brocade
and other handicraft articles preserved in the Potala are enormous and
richly diversified.
Since 1959 the central committee of the Chinese Communist Party and
China's State Council have mad earnest efforts to repair and protect the
Potala. While there have always been annual allocations for the
maintenances, special funds were granted to Tibet in 1988 for
large-scale repair. The project started in October of the following
year. The 5-year fraternal cooperation of the Tibetan and Han engineers
and builders led to the final success of the project and the Potala's
consequent re-emergence as a national cultural monument to attract
increasing numbers of foreign visitors.
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The Potala 