The Norbulingka of Tibet.

Norbulingka

The summer palace of the Dalai lams, the Norbulingka is in the western part of town. The lifeless temple like buildings rank well behind the other points of interest in and around Lhasa,since most rooms are closed for the public. This said, the Norbulingka is worth a visit if you don’t mind the entry fee. and the park is a great place to be during festival times and public holidays. in the seventh lunar month of every year, the Norbulingka is crowed with picnickers for the Shotun festival, when traditional Tibetan opera performances are held here.As you leave the palace after your visit,pop into the charming yellow-walled Manilhakhang to the south of the Norbulingka entrance.

History.

The seventh Dalai Lama founded the first summer palace in the Norbulingka ( whose name literally means Jewel park) in 1775. Rather  than use the palace simply as a retreat, he decided to use the wooded environs as a summer base from which to administer the country, the practice that was repeated by each of the succeeding Dalai Lamas. The grand procession of the Dalai Lama’s entourage relocating from the potala to Norbulingka became one of the highlights of the Lhasa year.

The eight Dalai Lama(1758-1804)initiated more work on the Norbulingka,expanding the gardens and digging the lake,which can be found south of the new summer palace. The 13th Dalai Lama(1876-1933) was responsible for the three palaces in the northwest corner of the park,  and the south of the new summer palace is the artificial lake commissioned by the eighth Dalai Lama. The only pavilion open here at the time of research was the personal retreat of the 13th Dalai Lama. The summer palace of the 13th Dalai Lama ( chensek podrang) is in the western section of the Norbulingka northwest of the awful zoo.Nearby the smaller kelsang Dekyi Palace was also built by the 13th Dalai Lama in 1926, as a tantric temple. The fine murals depict Ganden and Potala; not the building but the buddhist paradises of the same name, and the present 14th Dalai Lama built the new summer palace.