Norbulingka Palace
Luobu Linka North Road, Chengguan, Lhasa, Xizang (Tibet), China
Description:
Norbulingka Palace ("Precious Stone") is a palace in Lhasa, built in 1754. It was the summer residence of the Dalai Lamas from 1780 to 1959. Since 2001, the palace has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Norbulingka was built by the seventh Dalai Lama as an administrative and religious center. The Eighth Dalai Lama used the palace as a summer residence. The palace covers an area of 36 hectares and is considered the largest artificial park in Tibet. Various flowers grow in the park: roses, petunias, malvae, chrysanthemums and other flowers, as well as rare species of plants. Various events are held in Norbulingka Park, among which the most famous is the Yogurt Festival.
In 1950, during the invasion of Tibet, a number of palace buildings were damaged. They were reconstructed by the PRC in 2003. Now in the palace there are 374 rooms, which contain a large collection of Italian chandeliers, frescoes, Tibetan carpets and many other artifacts. In the palace you can see the room, bedroom, conference room and bathroom of the 14th Dalai Lama.