Tse Podrang "Summit Palace" is another name for the Potala Palace, Tibet

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Aptly named after Mount Potolaka, the sacred mountain abode of the Bodhisattva of Compassion, Avalokiteshvara, the Potala Palace has been identified in different ages as the residence of Tibet`s two illustrious and kingly emanations of Avalokiteshvara - Songtsen Gampo during the seventh century and the Fifth Dalai Lama during the 17th century. The building which towers above the city of Lhasa rises from the slopes of Mount Marpori, for which reason it is known locally as Tse Podrang "Summit Palace". The outer section, known as the White Palace has functioned as the traditional seat of government and the winter residence of the Dalai Lamas, while the inner section known as the Red Palace contains outstanding temples and the reliquary tombs of eight past Dalai Lamas. In terms of global perception, it is this relic of Tibet`s past, present, and future national aspiration which, more than any other, symbolizes the country of Tibet, like the Great Wall in China or the Vatican in Italy.

This 13-storeyed edifice was among the world`s tallest buildings prior to the advent of the 20th-century skyscraper, and undoubtedly the grandest building in Tibet.
The interior area of the 13-storeyed Potala Palace is 130.000 sq m. The building is 118 m high, 366 m from east to west, and 335 m from north to s! outh. Th ere are 1000 rooms housing approximately 200.000 images.

Traditinally the chapels of the Potala Palace were only open to the public on set days such as the fourth day of the sixth lunar month, and in the fourth lunar month. Now, in the absence of the Dalai Lama, it has the air of a (dead) museum, and is accessible throughout the week.
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