Tag Archives: Potala Palace

Lhasa (V) Potala Palace’s Back

Liberation Park

As I always like parks I went for the only one I had not yet seen: A park at the back of the Potala Palace by the euphemistic name of “Liberation Park”. As I had written earlier: The Chinese government had moved people from the palace’s front to the back to make room for the Tian’AnMen-like square which now is there, a large tiled empty space. But they also formed a nice Chinese park around a lake, which was left from the actual palace’s construction with the earth used as building material. While China is not loved here they definitely know how to build parks. And it seems the locals have accepted the park. I saw Tibetians sitting in a Chinese-style pavillion within Liberation Park, still turning their prayer wheels, and having a rest inbetween their pilgrimage. Continue reading Lhasa (V) Potala Palace’s Back

Lhasa (III) Jokhang Temple and Potala Palace

Today a small revolution: My guide came without car and just walked me the 5 minutes to the first temple. But later they could not resist driving me to the Potala Palace, although even that would have been just a 20 minute walk that I have done earlier and afterwards again. Potala Palace…that’s the impressive World Cultural Heritage everybody pictures first when hearing “Lhasa” or “Tibet”. Access to the Potala Palace is nowadyas highly organized with a limit of 800 visitors per day. My guide called me yesterday evening only to tell me the time of our visit as that was not confirmed earlier: 13:00, fairly inconvenient with regards to lunch. Continue reading Lhasa (III) Jokhang Temple and Potala Palace