Norbulingka, meaning "Treasure Park", was first built in the 1740s. It covers an area of 40 hectares. Khamsum Zilnon is a very eye-catching building behind the main gate. It was originally a Han style pavilion and later changed into a theater where the Dalai Lamas watched Tibetan opera. Tsokyil Potrang is a group of buildings on water. Dalai Lamas used to read in a hall of the palace. In 1922, the Thirteenth Dalai Lama began construction on his Golden Lingka and Chensel Potrang, which are located at the back of the woods. Various flowers, grasses, and trees surround the palace which was heavily painted with murals, bearing strong Han characteristics. Takten Migyur Potrang, meaning "Eternal Palace" in Tibetan, was completed in 1956 for the Fourteenth Dalai Lama. Though it is called the New Summer Palace, it is a very traditional architecture except for its interior modern facilities. In the palace there are many splendid murals painted by a Fourteenth Dalai Lama's painter. The topics of the murals are vast, including: Tibetan officials, Sakyamuni preaching under a Bodhi tree, Tibetan history from its founding by the Holy Monkey, the vicissitudes of the Tubo Kingdom (633-844) and Tibetan Buddhism. |
