Bethany's Chapel - #0551 :
The Potala Palace (p'oh-t'ah-l'ah) This place fascinated me so much, I think I must have lived there or something in a past life. The palace is named after Mount Potala (now called Marpo Ri, the Red Hill) and sits 12,000 ft above sea level and 1,00 ft above the city and river below. It is made up of 2 palaces, the Red upon the White, and contains over 1,000 rooms in 13 stories, with no elevators... just stairs, lots and lots of stairs! This spot was first a retreat for King Songtsen Gampo, in 637 AD and for his new bride, a Princess from the Tang Dynasty of China. Later the 5th Dalai Lama began to build there in 1645 because it was a commanding and central spot for the Tibetan gov't. The 14th Dalai Lama lived there last but fled in 1959 from the invading Mao army. The structure is now a museum with an amusement park out front.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potala_Palace |
