Potala Palace: World's Highest Palace
( 2005-10-14 )

Tibetan Buddhism believes in the doctrine of "Three Realms," that is, the desire realm, the form realm and the form-free realm. The vertical layout of the Potala Palace -- from the Red Palace on the very top to the White Palace at the bottom -- corresponds to that Buddhist doctrine. Expanded size and striking contrast in layout fully demonstrate the power and dignity of Buddhism. The symbolic appearance of the palace indicates that only by detaching oneself from the secular world and converting to Buddhism can one reach Heavenly Paradise.

 Legends

Located in Bajiao Street, Lhasa, the Jokhang Monastery was first built in the middle of the 7th century. It is said that Lhasa was still a vast swampland when Princess Wencheng arrived. She found no Buddhist temple there, and had to set up her statue of Sakyamuni in a tent. By observing the terrain of Lhasa, the princess believed that the whole place was just like the figure of a female demon. In order to conquer this demon, the princess decided to fill in the swamp and build a large Buddhist temple. She hoped that the boundless power of Sakyamuni could bring stability and prosperity to the local people. Songtsan Gompo actively supported her proposal. The king ordered the construction at once and he himself even did some of the labor. Two years later, the grand Jokhang Monastery was completed. As it attracted more and more monks, Lhasa became prosperous.