# Potala Palace (布达拉宫)

Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region · Southwest, China · Guidebook rating: 5/5
Canonical: https://cnatrip.com/en/places/potala-palace
Language: en

## Key facts

- **Admission:** ¥200 (peak season, May–October); ¥100 (off-season, November–April). The Snow City and Treasure Hall at the foot of the mountain can be visited free of charge; the Golden Roof is not open to visitors.
- **Opening hours:** 9：40—15：20
- **Time needed:** 3–4 hours
- **Getting there:** Take the scenic area shuttle or the Civil Aviation shuttle bus, or take a city bus and get off at Lābǎi bus stop (拉百站) or Mínhángjú bus stop (民航局站).
- **Good for:** History & Culture, Architecture, Temples

## About Potala Palace

A treasure house: you may never see as many treasures in your lifetime as you will here, and seeing them up close is dazzling.
The Potala Palace stands on Marburi Hill (玛布日山) in the centre of Lhasa and is the largest and most complete palace complex in Tibet. 'Potala' is Sanskrit for 'Sacred Place of Avalokiteśvara'. In the 7th century, the Tubo king Songtsen Gampo built a palace here when he married Princess Wencheng of the Tang dynasty; it was later destroyed in wars. It was rebuilt in the mid-17th century. It covers 130,000 square metres and was the political centre of the former Tibetan region. The whole complex is built of wood and stone, with gilded roofs.
The Potala Palace was the venue for large-scale religious and political ceremonies. The 7th floor at the top was the Dalai Lama's winter residence; because it receives abundant sunlight, it is known as the East and West Sunlight Halls.
The Red Palace houses mainly the stupa tombs and chapels of successive Dalai Lamas, with eight stupa tombs in total, distributed among the halls on different floors. The largest is the stupa of the 5th Dalai Lama, 14.85 metres tall and inlaid with diamonds and agate. Its topmost gem, a heavenly bead (tianzhu), is said to be the most precious in the world. There is also a gem said to have formed in an elephant's brain, and the gold used alone amounted to 5,500 kilograms. This hall is the largest in the Potala Palace, covering 725 square metres.

## Tips from the guidebook

- 1. Limited tickets: The Potala Palace is a recognised World Heritage Site, and there are so many treasures inside worth seeing that you should arrive early. Daily tickets are capped, and in peak season they are very hard to get.
- 2. The Dalai Lama's quarters: The Dalai Lama's private rooms are not large. Outside the main doors, on both sides, is a long row of felt-covered platforms; these were the seats for people waiting to be received.
- 3. Six-syllable mantra: Outside the walls of the Potala Palace and in many major monasteries there are prayer wheels; turning one clockwise once is equivalent to reciting the scripture once. Devout Tibetans also chant 'Om mani padme hum' while turning the wheels. This is the shortest scripture, the six-syllable mantra, and the Tibetan script on the scripture-carved stones in the mani pile at the summit has the same meaning.
- 4. Closing times: Closing times are earlier on weekends. Visits are guided by a commentator, and the route is marked with arrows. On Tibetan Buddhist festival days, admission is free in the morning.

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Source: China Self-Guided Travel 2025 (《中国自助游》, Tianjin Science & Technology Press, Aug 2024), p. 527. Prices, hours and transport details are as printed in the August 2024 edition and may have changed. Always confirm with the venue before you travel.
Site: China Trip (https://cnatrip.com) — independent China travel guide in 13 languages.