Chapter Five
RMB 50 Note: Potala Palace, Tibet
Attraction: Potala Palace, Tibet
Openning Hours: 9:00 - 12:00, 15:00-16:30
Best Time to Visit: May-October, avoid the rain season and severe winter
The primary image on obverse side of the new 50 Yuan note is chairman Mao Zedong, just like the other RMB, while the primary image on the reverse side of it is a picture of the Potala Palace in Lhasa , in the Tibet Autonomous Region. (See image on the left)
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| RMB 50 Note |
History of Potala Palace
Potala Palace, one of the architectural wonders of the world, is the symbol of the sacred land Lhasa. It was built in the 7th century by King Songtsan Gambo, unifier of Tibet, for his bride, the Han nationality Princess Wen Cheng of the Tang dynasty Emperor. The Buddhists later named it Potala Palace, meaning the sacred land of Buddhism. This structure was later burned to the ground during a war and was rebuilt in the 17th century by the Fifth Dalai Lama. Repeated repairs and expansions until 1645 finally brought the palace to its present scale.
After the restoration in the 17th Century, this palace had become the residence of Dalai Lamas in wintertime as well as the power center of the Tibetan regime that integrates the religion and politics.
Location and Construction of Potala Palace
Located on the Red Hill in Lhasa, the palace is a 13-story palace complex, 117 meters high, standing at the top of a cliff more than 3700 meters above sea level. It occupies an area of over 360,000 square meters, measuring 360 meters from east to west and 270 meters from south to north.
The complex is of stone and wood structure. The roofs of the main buildings are in traditional Han architectural style with upturned eaves, tinkling bells at each corner and gilded yellow tiles.
The Potala Palace consists of two sections: the Red Palace in the center, used for religious functions and the White Palace on two sides, comprising halls, temples and courtyards, serves as the living quarters of Dalai Lama.
Collected a large number of sculptures, murals, scripture and other valuable cultural relics, the palace on the whole is typical in Tibetan style, with a large collection of jewelry inside, which earns it the reputation of a palace of the art. In 1994, the Potala Palace of Lhasa joined the list of World cultural Heritages in China.
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| Potala Palace |
Nowadays of Potala Palace
Today, Potala Palace is a museum and temple, thousands of tourists and pilgrims surging up. It is no more like it before only Emperor and ministers, like Forbidden City in Beijing. But the daily entry quota is 2, 300 more than before 1,500 since July 1, 2007, when the Qinghai-Tibet railway was put into operation. A limit on entry is necessary for the protection of the Potala Palace, making the sacred palace more mysterious.
Anecdote
Potala Palace is located in the center of Lhasa. It is the holy land of Tibetan Buddhist, built on the top of Lhasa River Valley Redhill, majestic and impressive. In order to produce of 50 yuan notes of the fifth series of the renminbi, the two senior artists of Banknote Printing and Mint came to Lhasa to inspect. They looked for a long time, and finally found the best angle on the top of a water treatment plant, where they took photos first, made a sketch map, and then designed the final pattern on the renminbi.
Tips:
1. Hats should be off when you enter Potala Palace.
2. Taking pictures is not allowed inside Potala Palace.
3. Thresholds can not be treaded. You had better stride them.
4. The best way to visit Patala Palace is to enter from the back door exit from the front gate. You will be more leisure.
5. You can find the best angle to take photos of panorama of Potala Palace on Yaowang Mountain.
6. If you like tasting local snacks and shopping, Barkhor Street is an ideal place for you to experience, which is full of local snacks and local goods in minority style.
