The mighty Potala is of the most amazing palaces in Asia and is located high above the Tibetan capital of Lhasa. It is the former winter residence of the Dalai Lama and is situated on Mount Marpori.

Since the exile of the fourteenth Dalai Lama in1959 the palace has not been lived in and today is more like a museum. The thirteen floors of the palace complex measure three hundred and fifty metres long and a hundred and seventeen metres high. It consists of two sections, the White and the Red Palace whose central area was mainly used for religious ceremonies.

The Dalai Lama’s winter residence is situated higher than any other palace in the world and for those who have walked the arduous ascent to the top, a fascinating insight into the past life of this revered religious leader, awaits.

Fortunately, Potala is one of the few cultural monuments in Tibet that has survived China’s Cultural Revolution unscathed. Yet despite the politics that engulf it, the magnificent Potala Palace is still a remarkable symbol of religious authority.