Norbulingka Lhasa

Located in the western suburbs of Lhasa, Norbulingka (Norbu means treasure in Tibetan; lingka means garden in Tibetan) was built in 1740s during the reign of the seventh Dalai Lama.  Later it was renovated and enlarged and became the Dalai Lama’s Summer Palace.  It was here that from April to September each year the Dalai Lama would handle political affairs and hold festive celebrations. Encompassing 360,000 square metres, the park consists of three parts: the palace district, district in front of the palace and the forest district. Forests take up about half of the park. Its main buildings are Golden Palace, Sutra Hall, and the New Palace constructed in 1954.  UNESCO added Norbulingka Park to the List of World Heritage as an extension of the Potala Palace in December 2001