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Construction on the site was started by Emperor Songtsen Gampo
in the 7th century, on the top of Marpo Ri hill. The original structure had 1,000
rooms, and was largely incorporated into new building that began in the
17th century during the reign of the 5th Dalai Lama.
Modeled after the legendary Mount Potala, the residence of Avalokitesvara, one of
Tibet's bodhisattvas, or Buddhas who gave up nirvana to help other beings
reach enlightenment. Avalokitesvara is known in Tibet as Chenresi.
After centuries of construction, the Potala Palace emerged as a massive structure with an
interior exceeding 130,000 square meters. Protected by a wall several meters thick, the palace's
golden roof stands 350 feet high. At its widest point, the building is more than 900 feet and
there are more than 10,000 chapels contained within the palace walls. In comparison, the Great Pyramid
of Giza is 481 feet high, and 756 feet wide.
Inside the structure is a vast treasure of relics and artifacts including stupa-like tomb of the
fifth Dalai Lama gilded with tons of gold. There are massive numbers of altars, statues,
paintings, murals and other valuable historical items found inside the palace.
The interior design like the exterior is complex with a labyrinth of halls, shrines, terraces
and atriums.
Lhasa sits about 12,000 feet above sea level in a country that never dips below 10,000 feet. The
elevation is so great that tourists and Chinese bureaucrats often must take pills and drink plenty
of water to avoid high altitude sickness.
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