Why Isn't the Golden Top of the Potala Palace Open to Visitors? Is There a Secret Hidden Inside?
Throughout the long course of history, ancient people have left us many precious treasures, some are valuable knowledge, others are magnificent buildings, and among these buildings, most were built by rulers. These palaces are vast in area and imposing in scale. Some have been swallowed by the torrents of history, while others still remain intact to this day.
In ancient times, the palaces built by these rulers were inaccessible to ordinary people. But now we can visit them to feel the grandeur of the buildings, the complex construction structure, and their luxurious decorations. Standing in them, we can almost experience the life of the rulers.
When people talk about palaces, the first thing that comes to mind is the Forbidden City. But the palace I'm going to introduce today is not located in Beijing's Forbidden City, but in Lhasa, Tibet – Potala Palace.
Potala Palace was first built in the 7th century, with a history of 1300 years. It was originally built by the Songzan Gampo of the Tibetan Dynasty to welcome Princess Wencheng of the Tang Dynasty. Later, it became the residence of successive Dalai Lamas. Important religious and political ceremonies were often held here, and it was also the place where the stupas of successive Dalai Lamas were enshrined, a Buddhist holy place.
Potala Palace is built on the mountainside, majestic and full of the unique charm of Tibetan ancient architecture, which is a typical representative of Tibetan ancient architecture. Potala Palace has many rare treasures, most of which are made of gold, silver, and jade, with exquisite and beautiful shapes, and many were bestowed by the emperors, priceless. In addition, the value of the Buddhist scriptures, wood carvings, and mud carvings contained within is also very high and of great research value.
Besides many rare treasures, the golden roof of Potala Palace is also made of pure gold. Throughout history, gold has always been a precious metal. So its value is conceivable. Under the azure blue sky, the golden roof of Potala Palace is very beautiful, and when illuminated by the sun, it reflects a tempting golden light. Therefore, since Potala Palace has been open to tourists, many tourists have been attracted to visit the golden roof. Some even don't want to leave after stepping into it. However, since 2006, in order to avoid the pressure on the wooden buildings on the top of the palace, the golden roof group is no longer open to the public.
Nowadays, Potala Palace only allows 2000 people to visit per day, and these people must complete the visit within 1 hour, and photography is prohibited. So Potala Palace has become more and more mysterious in the eyes of outsiders, and people are increasingly interested in it.
