Potala Palace
The Potala Palace is a famous palace-style architectural complex located on the Red Hill in the northwest of Lhasa, the capital city of China's Xizang (Tibet) Autonomous Region. It was first built during the reign of Songtsen Gambo (617- 650) and was later rebuilt under the direction of the 5th Dalai Lama (1617-1682) on the original site and named the "Potala Palace". It served as the winter residence for successive Dalai Lamas, and became the political and religious center of Tibet's old serf society.
The Potala Palace covers an area of 400,000 square meters, with a floor area of 130,000 square meters. Its main building has 13 floors and is over 110 meters high. The pal- ace, with a distinctive Tibetan style, was built with stone and wood on a hill. Its white granite walls and red walls and golden roofs stand in sharp contrast with each other, complementing its unique architectural style. The palace, known as the "Holy Temple on the Plateau", showcases the superb craftsmanship of the Tibetan people, as well as that of the Han, Mongolian,Manchu and other ethnic groups.
With a rich collection of cultural artefacts, classics, and treasures, the Potala Palace is a museum of architectural art and Buddhist art. An important testament to China's ethnic and national unity, it is also valuable to the research into Tibet's politics, economy, history, and culture. In 1994, the Potala Palace was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
布达拉宫
布达拉宫位于中国西藏自治区首府拉萨市区西北的红山上，是著名的宫堡式建筑群。布达拉宫始建于公元6世纪松赞干布（617-650）时期，后于17世纪由五世达赖喇嘛（1617-1682）在其旧址上重修宫殿，称作"布达拉宫"， 并作为历代达赖喇嘛的冬宫居所，成为旧时西藏农奴社会政教合一的统治中心。
布达拉宫占地40万平方米，建筑面积13万平方米，宫体主楼13层，高110多米。宫殿主体采用石木结构依山而建，具有鲜明的藏式风格，其花岗石墙体、白玛草墙领、金碧辉煌的金顶形成红、白、黄三种色彩的鲜明对比，并与独特建筑型体相互辉映，体现了以藏族为主，汉、蒙、满等各族能工巧匠高超的技艺水平，被誉为"高原圣殿"。
布达拉宫收藏和保存了丰富的文物、典籍、珍品，堪称一座建筑艺术与佛教艺术的博物馆，也是中华民族团结和国家统一的重要实证，对于研究中国西藏政治、经济、历史、文化等都具有重要价值。1994年，布达拉宫列入联合国教科文组织世界文化遗产名录。