The Potala Palace: the symbol of Lhasa, perched upon Marpo Ri Hill, 130 meters above the Lhasa Valley, it is the greatest monumental structure in Tibet and one of the most famous architectural works of the world. Construction of the present palace began in 1645 during the reign of the fifth Dalai Lama and by 1648 the White palace (Potrang Karpo) was completed.  The Red Palace was added between 1690 and 1694. As the religious center of old Tibet, the palace witnessed the life of the Dalai Lamas and the important political and religious activities for centuries. The Potala Palace houses great amounts of cultural relics including gold hand-written Buddhist scriptures, priceless tributes from Chinese emperor and many other priceless treasures.