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By the ninth century CE, Lhasa had been designated as the capital of Tibet. Although it lost this status for some centuries following the collapse of the Yarlung Empire and the ensuing fragmentation of political government, the city grew steadily in influence as the religious center of Tibet.
Lhasa is dominated by the Potala, the residence of the Dalai Lamas until 1959 when the communist Chinese forced Tenzin Gyatso, the fourteenth Dalai Lama, into exile. This great building was begun in 1645 shortly after Losang Gyatso, the first Dalai Lama-known as the “Great Fifth” on account of his wisdom, tolerance, and effectiveness-came to power.
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The Potala is named after Mount Potalaka, the celestial abode of Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva of compassion and patron deity of Tibet. Songtsen Gampo, the king who built the first structure on the site in the seventh century CE, is regarded as an emanation of Avalokiteshvara, as is the “Great Fifth,” under whom most of the present palace was constructed in the seventeenth century. Although an architectural project o9f unprecedented size and ambition, the Potala is built in the typical Tibetan style, with gently sloping walls and flat roofs resting on wooden beams. The palace’s curved gables reflect the influence of contemporary Chinese architecture.
The Potala’s outer section is known as the “White Palace” and was the seat of government up to 1959. The lower walls of the White Palace are plain and were once used to display giant thangka paintings of the buddhas during important festivals. Inside the White Palace are the winter apartments of the Dalai Lamas and a larger hall known as the Tsomchen Shar. It was here that the Dalai Lamas were enthroned and where envoys from China were received.
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Read full article: The Mystery of Tibet: Lhasa The Holy City
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