Potala Palace

Rising above Lhasa, the Potala Palace brings together Tibet's architectural, religious and political history. Its origins reach back to the seventh century and the reign of Songtsen Gampo. The White Palace housed residential and administrative rooms; the Red Palace contains religious halls and the stupas of successive Dalai Lamas. Murals, thangkas, sculptures and manuscripts form part of its remarkable collections. The palace was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1994.