Tibet >> Potala Palace

The Potala Palace is the largest monumental structure in Tibet, covering 41 hectares (101 acres). It stands high above the Lhasa Valley and was built in the seventh century AD as a retreat for the local lord, Songtsen Gampo, and his bride Princess Wen Cheng. Thirteen storeys high and perched on a huge cliff face, it is highest palace. The palace complex is made up of two sections, the Red Palace and the White Palace, which together consist of 1000 rooms - bedrooms, scripture rooms, monks' living quarters and rooms containing fabulous stupas. The palace is the headquarters of the Dalai Lama and is a treasure house of traditional Tibetan culture.