“This is not a palace sitting on top of a mountain; it is a mountain of a palace.”

These were the words of an English correspondent who entered the Potala Palace at the roof of the world (Tibetian Plateau), in the beginning of the twentieth century.

The architecture of Potala palace (the seat of Dalai Lama, prior to the Chinese Cultural revolution), is seen as the symbol of Tibet by people throughout the world. Straddling the peak of Marpo Ri at the centre of the Lhasa Valley, whether by its appearance or in the eye of the beholder, it holds an irresistible attraction.

Click first photo below to view entire series in slide show.