Little remains of the original Potala Palace of the seventh century, built as a place for meditation by King Songtsen Gampo on the occasion of his marriage to Princess Wencheng of the Tang Court. Standing atop the Red Hill in Lhasa, the current structure dates from the 17th century; it was rebuilt by the 5th Dalai Lama and became the Winter Palace of the Dalai Lamas from that time. The 13-story building of 1,000 rooms can be seen from many miles away.

Eight-petalled Lotus Flower Yamantaka Guardian Figure from the 14th Century.

The Potala Palace Treasure Hall, which located in the Zhol City at the foot of the Potala Palace, is open to the public on Aug 11 with many rare artifacts on shown for the first time. On the same day, the Tibet museum is also open to public for free.

Pattra-leaf Sutra from the 9th Century.jpg

Zhol, meaning 'below' in Tibetan, refers specifically to a village or town right below a mountainside castle. Zhol City (Xuecheng), also known as Snow City, is located on the lower boundary of the Potala Palace entrance which is a frontispiece built of its era. Since its grand opening on May 31st, 2007, Zhol City has become a popular hotspot in Lhasa.

Peach-shape Agate Cup from the 17th Century

The three-floor Treasure Hall takes up about 2,000 square meters with a total investment of ten million yuan. According to the related publicizing material, the Treasure Hall will be divided into two parts for eight units including about 200 sets of cultural relics and photos.