Potala Palace of Lhasa

The Potala Palace, perched atop a cliff more than 3700 meters above sea level, is a 13-story palace complex rising into theclouds. It is one of the architectural wonders of the world. The palace was built inthe seventh century by King Songtsan Gambo, unifier of Tibet, for his bride , the Han nationality Princess Wen Cheng, who was sent to him by the Tang dynasty emperor. Potala Palace occupies an area of 41 hectares, with the 13-storied main building rising 115 meters high. The complex is made of a stone and wood structure. The upper structure of the palace is made of wood. The roofs of the main buildings are in traditional Han architectural style with upturned eaves, tinkling bells at each corner and gilded yellow tiles.

The Potala Palace consists of two sections: the Red Palace in the center, used for religious functions and the White Palace on both side, used as the living quarters of Dalai Lama.

In December,1994 The Potala Palace of Lhasa was listed in the Chronology of Recognition of World Heritages in China with UNESCO.