Richard AmmonThe Potala Palace is the former home and seat of government for the Buddhist leader Dalai Lama. He was chased out of Tibet when the Chinese invaded Tibet in 1959 and took over the country. Since then the Potala Palace has not been used for government or religious functions. The Chinese have designated it as a museum. Despite attempts to make it a secular place, countless pilgrims and foreign visitors feel it has powerful spiritual meaning and they pray (briefly) in the many temple-like rooms, especially in the former throne room of the Dalai Lama. Several previous Dalai Lamas are interred in the Palace. The interior is very ornate and colorful; photos of the inside are prohibited but I took some anyway.
