Category: UNESCO Sites

UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Tibet

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Sites are places listed by UNESCO for having cultural significance. As of 2016, the UNESCO Website lists 1031 sites around the world, three of which are found in Lhasa. A fourth one found in Amdo Tibet is Jiuzhaigou National Park which will be featured below soon.

To view a map of Tibet and an introduction to the three main Tibetan regions, visit our page on Tibet Travel Essentials.

Norbulingka Summer Palace

Located on the western edge of Lhasa at the bank of River Kyichu and just a kilometer from the famous Potala Palace, Norbulingka Palace (ནོར་བུ་གླིང་ག) offers the best landscapes in the region. Spread over an area of 360,000 square meters, Norbulingka features the summer palaces of the Dalai Lamas with 374 rooms, and the largest, most beautiful, and well-preserved gardens in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.
Norbulingka (Luobulinka in Chinese) means Treasure or Jeweled Park in Tibetan. Listed by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage Site in 2001, Norbulingka reflects the religious and ethnic aspects of the Tibetan, Han Chinese, and other tribes with its impressive architecture. Norbulingka houses more than 30,000 cultural relics and is a national tourist attraction of the Tibetan region.

An annual Shoton Festival in the first week of July is held at Norbulingka where people enjoy food and drinks, and watch Tibetan operas along with traditional dances.

History of Norbulingka

In the past, the area was prevalent with weeds, scrubs, and wild animals, and was frequently visited by the 7^th Dalai Lama in the summer. Some records suggested the Dalai Lama used the hot springs in the area to cure his health problems. The Imperial Minister of the Qing Dynasty ordered for a Pavilion Palace to be built for the Dalai Lama as a summer retreat.

Later in 1751, a three-floor palace named Kelsang Potrang inside Norbulingka itself was added by the 7^th Dalai Lama which consisted of the Buddha hall, an assembly hall, a reading room, a god temple, and a bedroom. The 8^th Dalai Lama made additions to Norbulingka in the form of palaces such as the Dragon King Temple, the Lake Heart Palace, and Han-style pavilion and gardens. Up until the 14^th Dalai Lama, Norbulingka had seen many extensions, and now is a complex with many palaces, flower gardens, and lakes.

Just a small section, Norbulingka holds one of the largest and well-preserved gardens in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

Palaces of Norbulingka

Norbulingka has five distinct sections: Kelsang Palace, Tsokyil Palace, Golden Linka, Takten Migyur Palace, and Lake Heart Palace. Each palace has three main sections: the palace area, the forest area, and the area in front of the palace. (Note: the Tibetan word for “Palace” is “Potrang”.)

Kelsang Palace

This palace was built by the 7^th Dalai Lama in typical Tibetan style and consists of worship rooms, reading rooms, and bedrooms. The main hall features the throne of the 7^th Dalai Lama amidst statues of Guanyin Bodhisattva and Longevity Buddha.

Tsokyil Palace

It lies to the northwest of Kelsang Palace in the midst of the lake and is the most attractive pavilion built by the 8^th Dalai Lama.

Golden Linka and Chensel Palace

To the northwest of Kelsang Phodrong lies also the Chensel Palace and on the west side of Norbulingka is the Golden Phodron. Both these were built in 1922 by a benefactor for the 13^th Dalai Lama.

Lake Heart Palace

The most beautiful area in southwest Norbulingka, the Lake Heart Palace was built by the 8th Dalai Lama to hold parties with dignitaries.

Takten Migyur Palace

Completed by 1956, Takten Migyur Palace was built by the 14^th Dalai Lama and is also referred to as the New Summer Palace. More magnificent and larger than the other palaces, the New Palace features exquisite murals of Sakyamuni and his eight contemplative disciples, and also those related to the development of Tibet.

June 21, 2016
Jokhang Temple

Standing four stories tall, spread over an area of about 25,000 square meters in the heart of Lhasa, the UNESCO World Heritage Jokhang Temple (ཇོ་ཁང་།) with its golden roof is an esoteric blend of local Tibetan elements with Nepalese, Chinese, and Indian influences.
The spinning of prayer wheels, murmur of mantras, and humble prostrations of devout pilgrims all year long but especially at Losar during the Great Prayer Festival show the significance of this revered spiritual center of Tibet.

Destroyed twice during the anti-Buddhist movements in the late 7th century and middle of the 9th century, and once during the Chinese Cultural Revolution in the 1960s, the spectacular Jokhang Temple has been regularly expanded and extensively reconstructed over the years.

The History Behind Jokhang Temple

The impressive Jokhang Temple was initiated in 647 AD by the famous King Songtsen Gampo, the first King of Unified Tibet during the Tang Dynasty. In order to strengthen ties with neighboring Nepal, he married Princess Bhrikuti in 630AD, who was the Nepalese king’s sister. In her dowry, she brought the statue of Akshobhya Buddha (or Mikyoba). Later on in 641AD, he took Princess Wencheng as his second wife, who was related to Tang Chinese emperor. Princess Wencheng also brought the statue of Jowo Sakyamuni Buddha.

In order to house the two statues of Akshobhya Buddha and Jowo Sakyamuni Buddha, two temples were built on Lake Wothang. The Ramoche Temple was built to hold the statue of Jowo Sakyamuni. After some time, the King also ordered the erection of the Rasa Trulnang Tsuglag Khang, another temple to contain the statue of Akshobhya Buddha. After the death of the King in 649 AD, Queen Wencheng transferred the statue of Jowo Sakyamuni from the Ramoche temple and hid it away in the temple of Rasa Trulnang Tsuglag Khang during the Chinese invasion. The Akshobhya Vajra statue then traded places with former and moved to the Ramoche temple. Later in 710 AD, the Rasa Trulnang Tsuglag Khang Temple was renamed Jokhang, which means ‘Shrine of the Jowo’.

Originally the temple consisted of only eight shrines. But later on it was renovated and expanded during the Yuan Dynasty, the Ming Dynasty, and the Qing Dynasty to the massive monastery it is today.

From 8 shrines, Jokhang Temple has grown across many dynasties into the impressive temple it is today

Legends Surrounding the Jokhang Temple

There are various legends surrounding the establishment of the Jokhang Temple. One legend states that Queen Bhrikuti established the temple to contain the statue, while Queen Wencheng picked the location according to the astrological signs and geomancy divination. Lake Wothang was believed to be the center of demonic forces and only a grand temple on the spot would drive away the evils preventing the spread of Buddhism in Tibet.

According to another legend, the King tossed his ring into the air for the spirits to indicate where he should construct the temple. Upon falling into a lake, a stupa surfaced from the water. The temple site at the lake was filled with sand carried by a thousand goats from a faraway mountain, thus giving it its first name, Rasa (‘ra’ is goat and ‘sa’ is earth in Tibetan).

Architectural Highlights

The outside of the temple is adorned with the early representations of Buddhism such as deer and wheel motifs, while the interior presents a maze of chapels devoted to different gods and bodhisattvas and a significant collection of cultural artifacts surrounded by candles and incense. The holiest object in Tibet, a life-size statue of Jowo Shakyamuni adorned with jewels, is the heart of the Jokhang Temple.

June 21, 2016
Potala Palace

Located in Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region, one can find the famous Potala Palace( ཕོ་བྲང་པོ་ཏ་ལ། ). As a UNESCO World Heritage Site, this remarkable set of buildings is visited by thousands of tourists daily. “Potala” itself comes from the Hindi name of a mountain in Southern India, while in Sanskrit it means, “The Abode of the Buddha.” Construction of the palace began in 1643 and was completed (the white part of the building) in 1694 under the reign of the 5th Dalai Lama. The Potala was home to each successive Dalai Lama, until the construction of Norbulingka Summer Palace in the late 18^th century (also one of Lhasa’s three UNESCO sites), at which point the Potala became their primary winter residence.

The site of the Potala Palace is significant because it is built on top of a cave that King Songtsan Gampo fled to in exile during the 8th century after his father was assassinated Julius-Ceasar-style by his ministers. It was Songtsan Gampo that established Lhasa as the new center of political and religious power in Tibet.

The Potala Palace at night makes for a stunning photo.

Previous to the Potala Palace, the seat of political and religious authority in Tibet was the Drepung Monastery, also located in Lhasa. The Drepung Monastery is of the Gelugpa sect, which practices celibacy, and an aesthetic lifestyle approach to breaking “attachment” with the world. Every Dalai Lama has been of this sect, also known as the “Yellow Hat Sect.”

The Potala Palace is one of the highest altitude palaces in the world, sitting on Marpo Ri (“Red Hill”) above Lhasa. The palace itself is a construction of over 1000 rooms, and was completed in two parts. The White Palace (Kharpo Podrang) was built first, and was a nine story undertaking that took 3 years. The Red Palace (Marpo Podrang), has a little more of an interesting history. Some believe that the fifth Dalai Lama had the Red Palace built with the intention that it would be his funerary chörten. While that is debated, it is agreed that in 1682, twelve years prior to the completion of the Red Palace, the 5th Dalai Lama died, and the chief minister under him concealed his death until the Palace could be completed to prevent the construction being terminated.

A pilgram walks the Kora around the Potala Palace.

Visiting the Potala Palace

When visiting the Potala Palace, travellers will often rely on their guide to secure them entry. During high season, the Palace has a quota in place to help deal with the number of tourists attempting to see this world renowned site. As a result, the day before you intend to visit, your guide will need to go to an office before noon to reserve your time slot. During the winter months (November to April), you should be able to buy a ticket on the spot.

While photography inside the Potala is prohibited, the outside is fair game. Enjoy the stunning palace grounds, and magnificent architecture that this palace is known for. Climb the massive ambling staircase to enter the front of the palace, but be warned that if you are still adjusting to Lhasa’s altitude, it may take longer than one might expect. Once inside, gaze at the exquisite murals, examine some of the personal effects of the Dalai Lama, and view a number of chapels (amongst so much more), before exiting the rear of the Palace.

March 14, 2016