 【Brilliant
Golden Roofs】Lhasa means "holy land" in Tibetan. Lots of Tibetan people and visitors from home and abroad are attracted mostly because of Podala Palace and Johkang Temple, and the Buddhist rings of the brilliant golden roofs on them. The two grand and mysterious buildings are regarded as the symbols of the city Lhasa. Podala Palace was first constructed in the 7th century. According to The New Tang book-Tubo History, Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo waited to meet Princess Wencheng here to marry her and decided "a fort should be built for Princess to show proud to her accuser and a palace for her to live in There were 999 rooms in early Podala Palace, all together 1000 rooms if adding the Qujizhopo Cave. Struck by wars and thunderstorms, there left only two places; Qujizhopo and Pabalungkang. After the constant repairement and enlargement started from the mid of the 17th century by Fifth Dalai Lama, the scale of today has formed finally. Potala palace covers more than 100 hundred square meters, with the main building 13 storied and 117. 19 meters light, and 360 meters long from east to west. Built on the Red hill of Lhasa, it appears rather great. Podala Palace is the residence for successive Dailai Lamaes, symbolizing the political and religious power of old Tibet. The official documents given by Chinese Emperors of Ming and Qing Dynasties are preserved in the Palace, and also lots of precious relics on religion, culture and arts. Johkang Temple is situated at the centre of Lhasa city, built in 648, the area about 21.5 thousand square meters. The building structure is in Tibetan wood-rock style, with tang Dynasty and Nepal characters on the scripture chapels and Buddha halls. In the main hall there stands the gilded statue of Buddha Sakyamuni, brought from Chang'an city by Tang princess Wencheng. Songtsen Gampo and Princess Wencheng in person planted a willow in front of the Temple. This is the well-known "Tang willow". In the year 823, the "Tang Tupo meeting monument" was set up too in the front of thee Temple, which was intended to mark the long living peace and friendship between Tibetan and Han people. |
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『The Podala Palace in Summer Sun』
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『Outlook on Podala -remote view of the Potala
Palace』
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『Johkang Temple in Lhasa』
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『The brilliant gilded roof carvings』
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『snow-covered Podala』
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『Podala in the fall -the autumn view over the
Potala Palace』
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