Potala Palace

Religious and administrative complex, near Lhasa, Tibet, China. It covers 5 sq mi (13 sq km) atop a hill 425 ft (130 m) above the Lhasa River valley. Potrang Karpo (the White Palace, completed 1648) once served as the seat of the Tibetan government and the main residence of the Dalai Lama; from the mid-18th century it was used as a winter palace. Potrang Marpo (the Red Palace, 1694) houses several chapels, sacred statues, and the tombs of eight Dalai Lamas; it remains a major pilgrimage site for Tibetan Buddhists. The complex, which has a total of 1,000 rooms, was declared a world heritage site in 1994.

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