– The Summer Palace Of The Dalai Lamas
Norbu Lingka, literary means ‘Jewels Park’, is a large open area about four kilometres west of Lhasa.
Since the 8th Dalai Lama, the park was used as a summer residence, retreat and recreation area for the successive Dalai Lamas.
(Most of the books often stated that the 7th Dalai Lama constructed the first palace here around 1750, but a reliable source informed that although the 7th Dalai Lama made use of the area as a recreation garden, it was not until the time of his successor that the construction of a palace began.)
Most of the main buildings were built during this century by the thirteenth and fourteenth Dalai Lama.
Norbu Lingka Palace is comprised of Palaces, opera grounds and recreational places like the Cinema hall.
They are four different palaces in Norbu Lingka which the pilgrims and tourist visit.
The opera grounds in the east part of the palace was open-air with a big park around. Every year during the Shoton Festival, here is the central place to perform the opera dance.
Check here the 2021 Shoton festival tour.
Moreover, almost a weeks of holiday in Lhasa and people gathering here in the Norbu Lingka palace to watch the Tibetan opera dance and picnic.
