Potala Palace – the Buddhist pilgrimage site of the Bodhisattva Chenresi and the home of the Dalai Lama

Potala palace is the pureland of compassion Buddha, and all Tibetan people’s dream land. 70% of the Tibetan nomad and farmer are coming to make a pilgrimage to Lhasa by visiting Potala palace.

Potala palace is situated on the red hill which we Tibetans call MarpoRi. The red palace was founded in 7th century by 33rd King Songtsen Gampo and later in 17th century the 5th Dalai Lhasa Lobsang Gyatso extended the white palace.

During the Potala palace construction, all Tibetan people were volunders coming at times to build the palace and some people even came to work at night. Every day when they gathered to work they sang a song and danced. Sometimes,men and women will compete with each other, enjoying their working time. They didn’t even notice their working time passed by. During that time there were no machine and vehicles to carry the rocks and wood to the 136mt. up to the hill but really they enjoyed to bulid the palace very much.

There are 1,000 chapels in the palace and many tombs stupa in the palace, which means the palace is so strong standing on the small hill but due to the 9 stores down wards is totally empty, the air press up those things to the upper part,so you can feel the air when you visit in the palace.

So these days when we make a pilgrimage in the palace, we receive lots of happiness, joys and peace beause of the compassion Buddha and because our oldest blessed. Really during night time we can also hear the wisdom that somebody is singing around the palace.

In Tibet, Potala Palace is a most special place for visiting and doing pilgrimage. So please whenever you get the time to visit Tibet, welcome to make trip to the Potala palace.