这是中国西藏的布达拉宫。它坐落在海拔3700多米的拉萨红山上。

This is the Potala Palace, located in Tibet, China. It is situated on Lhasa’s Marpo Ri (Red Hill) and lies at an altitude of over 3,700 meters.

　　布达拉宫始建于公元7世纪。相传当时吐蕃赞普松赞干布始建此寺，后世屡有增建。

The construction of the Potala Palace began in the 7th century AD. Songtsen Gampo, the then Tibetan King, is said to have begun construction of this palace. It was expanded and enlarged numerous times by later kings.

　　后来由于战争，古老的宫殿大部分在战火中被毁坏。公元17世纪，清朝政府正式把五世达赖喇嘛封为西藏地方政教首领，开始布达拉宫的重建。此后历代达赖又相继进行扩建，布达拉宫才有了今天的规模。

As a result of war, most of the ancient buildings in the palace were destroyed. In the 17th century AD, the Qing government officially conferred the fifth Dalai Lama with the title of Tibet’s political and religious leader, and reconstruction of the Potala Palace was begun. Thereafter, successive Dalai Lamas undertook efforts to expand its construction, resulting in the grand scale of the Potala Palace that we see today.

　　布达拉宫被后人誉为“高原圣殿”，是藏族古代建筑的代表，也是藏族文化的象征。

The Potala Palace was praised by later generations as the “Holy Temple of the Highlands”; it represents the ancient architecture of Tibet and is also the symbol of Tibetan culture.

　　整个宫殿的建筑面积为13万平方米，全部为石木结构。五座宫殿的顶部都覆盖着镏金铜瓦，使得宫殿看起来金光灿烂。

The palace, which is comprised entirely of stone and wood, has an area of 130,000 square meters. Gold-plated copper tiles cover the roofs of the five palaces, giving them a shiny and glittery appearance.

　　布达拉宫的建筑主要由东部的白宫、中部的红宫和西部白色的僧房组成。

The architecture of the Potala Palace is mainly composed of the “White Palace” on the east, the central “Red Palace”, and the white-colored residence for monks on the west.

　　这是白宫最大的宫殿——东大殿，是历代达赖举行重大宗教和政治活动的地方。

This is the largest building in the White Palace—the East Great Hall. The East Great Hall was the place where successive Dalai Lamas held major religious events as well as political activities.

　　这是红宫。红宫有8座灵塔，其中五世达赖的灵塔是第一座，也是最大的一座。

This is the Red Palace. The Red Palace contains eight stupas, the first and largest of which was for the fifth Dalai Lama.

　　这是松赞干布修法洞。这座公元7世纪的建筑是布达拉宫最古老的建筑之一。

This is Songtsen Gampo’s “Cultivation Cave.” Built in the 7th century AD, it is one of the most ancient structures in the Potala Palace.

　　布达拉宫内的壁画可以说是一条巨型绘画艺术长廊。它记载了西藏历史上的很多大事，是一部珍贵的历史画卷。

　　1994年，布达拉宫被列入《世界遗产名录》。

The Potala Palace became one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1994.