Red Palace

Red Palace is located within the Potala Palace and contains eight stupas. According to records, the gold used for just one stupa amounts to 119,000 taels. The Red Palace is constructed with a stone and wood structure, with exterior walls 2-5 meters thick, and its foundation is directly embedded into the rock layer. The walls are entirely built with granite, reaching several tens of meters high, and are reinforced with molten iron at intervals. The roof and window eaves of the Red Palace are made of wooden structures, with overhanging eaves and upturned corners. The roof is adorned with gilded copper tiles, and the ridge is decorated with gilded stupas, treasure vases, makara fish, and Garuda. The shining roof features hip-and-gable and pyramidal styles, reflecting Han Dynasty architectural influences. The walls under the eaves are decorated with gilded copper ornaments, depicting the Eight Auspicious Symbols, rich in Tibetan colors. The columns and beams are covered with vibrant paintings and ornate carvings. The interior corridors are intertwined, with halls and chambers creating a labyrinthine space, making one feel as if entering a mysterious world. Fifth Dalai Lama’s Stupa Hall, a large palace within the Red Palace. Inside, besides the plaque “Yong Lian Chu Di” bestowed by Emperor Qianlong, there is also a pair of large embroidered curtains gifted by Emperor Kangxi, considered rare treasures of the Potala Palace. Legend has it that Emperor Kangxi built a special workshop and spent a year to weave these curtains. From the West Hall, go upstairs through the gallery to reach Qujie Zhupu (Songtsen Gampo Meditation Cave), a 7th-century building and one of the oldest structures within the Potala Palace. It houses statues of Songtsen Gampo, Princess Wencheng, and their ministers. The higher palace hall in the Red Palace is called Sasong Langjie (meaning “Victory Over Three Realms”), where a portrait of Emperor Qianlong and a “Long Live” plaque are enshrined. Since the time of the 7th Dalai Lama, Kelsang Gyatso, each Dalai Lama has come here on the third day of the first month of the Tibetan calendar to pay homage to the emperor’s plaque, signifying their allegiance to the emperor.