A Look Into The Region

Towering over the capital city of Lhasa the world renowned Potala Palace, lasting symbol of Tibetian Buddhist culture, graces the cover of this issue. The palace was erected in the mid to late 17th century and served initially as residence of the Dalai Lamas. It was converted to a museum after the current Dalai Lama left the country in 1959. Situated 130m atop Marpori (Red Mountain), Potala Palace, once the seat of Tibetian government, has over 1000 rooms and within the surrounding complex are 200,000 statues and 10,000 alters. The Potala (or Pure Land) Palace named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994, was spared during the Cultural Revolution and remains to this day a major pilgrimage site for Tibetian Buddhists. It is truly a spectacular edifice by any standard.