Norbulingka

NorbuLingka is called the Summer Palace of Tibet, about one km (about 0.6 mile) southwest of Potala Palace. Covering an area of 360,000 square meters (about 430,000 square yards), with 374 rooms inside, it is the biggest man-made garden in Tibet Autonomous Region. In 2001, it was listed as the World Heritage Site as part of the "Historic Ensemble of the Potala Palace" by UNESCO.

NorbuLingka was built in 1755. That’s where the later generations after the 7th Dalai Lama deal with affairs, hold celebrations and spend the hot season, rest and conduct religious activities. In the mid-March every year, Dalai will move here from the Potala Palace, stay here until the end of October and then return to the Potala Palace. So, NorbuLingka is called “the summer palace” and the Potala Palace “the winter palace”. After a series of expansions and renovations, the appearance was improved with potrangs, pavilions, gardens and woods. It has now been turned into a park open to the public.

Norbulingka consists of several palace complexes, such as the Kelsang Potrang, Tsokyil Potrang, Golden Linka and Takten Migyur Potrang. Each palace complex is divided into three sections - the palace section, the section in front of the palaces and the woods. 

Kelsang Potrang, named after the Seventh Dalai Lama, is a three-storey palace with halls for worshipping Buddha, bedrooms, reading rooms and sanctuaries. Tsokyil Potrang, built by the eighth Dalai Lama, is thought to be the most beautiful places in Norbulingka today. The thirteenth Dalai Lama built Golden Linka and Chensel Potrang and the fourteenth Dalai Lama built Takten Migyur Potrang. There are large areas of green woods, grasses, and various flowers adorning the buildings, and yellow tiles and golden roofs add radiance and beauty to the red and white walls.

The gardens are favorite picnic spot and provide a beautiful venue for theatre, dancing and festivals, particularly the Sho Dun or 'Yoghurt Festival', at the beginning of August, with families camping in the grounds for days surrounded by colorful makeshift windbreaks of rugs and scarves and enjoying the height of summer weather.

Admission Fee: CNY 60

Opening Hours: 09:00 to 12:00 in the morning, 15: 00 to 16:00 in the afternoon