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佚名 · Public domain
7th century · ？–650
Songtsen Gampo
སྲོང་བཙན་སྒམ་པོ · China
Founder of the Tibetan Empire
The 33rd tsenpo (emperor) of Tibet, he unified the Tibetan plateau and moved his capital to Lhasa, to the site of today's Potala Palace. He married Princess Bhrikuti of Nepal and Princess Wencheng of the Tang dynasty, formally introduced Buddhism to Tibet and built the Jokhang Temple; he is revered as the first of Tibet's 'three Dharma kings'.
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History · Potala Palace
Two builders: Songtsen Gampo and the Fifth Dalai Lama
In the 7th century Songtsen Gampo unified the Tibetan Plateau and moved his capital to Lhasa, and the first palace is said to have been built on Marpo Ri (Red Hill). A thousand years later, in 1645, the 5th Dalai Lama — revered as 'the Great Fifth' — on his advisers' recommendation chose Red Hill, between Drepung and Sera monasteries, as the centre of religious and political power and began building today's Potala Palace, moving into the White Palace in 1649. From then until 1959 it was the winter palace of successive Dalai Lamas.
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