Norbulingka

After visiting the Potala Palace, I was still very excited. Although I may have reacted, my body did not notice it yet. After lunch, I walked from the Potala Palace to Norbulingka. The distance between the two is about 2-3 kilometers on one side. The sun was bright on the road. It seemed that there were not many people walking on the streets of Lhasa. I passed Yaowangshan Park and followed Norbulingka Road to reach the "treasure garden" in Tibetan. I walked alone on the road to Norbulingka, and I felt a little lonely for walking alone. I wondered what my wife, who was on a business trip in Jiangsu, was doing at this time.

The "Lhasa Summer Palace" in winter is surprisingly deserted. There are no tickets, few staff members, and even fewer tourists. I think in spring, summer, and autumn, this place should be full of flowers and full of vitality. At this time, it is very lonely. The tall trees reach into the blue sky. The golden fallen leaves have returned to the dust.

The major Phodrangs and Lakangs still have a solemn aura.

As a garden, it can be said to be very beautiful.

There is no senior citizen ticket for Norbulingka, and the ticket price is very good. Norbulingka is really a beautiful garden, it is a good place for lamas to relax. Norbulingka is to the Potala Palace as the Summer Palace is to the Forbidden City~ It has Tibetan characteristics, but it is very beautiful~ I highly recommend it! It is definitely not inferior to the Winter Palace! Norbulingka is simply made of stacked flowers~ Compared with the majesty of the Potala Palace, the Summer Palace is so beautiful~

Norbulingka highlights the natural atmosphere of snowy plateau gardens and plants, with artificial buildings dotted in between. I remember when I visited it 20 years ago, I saw two teams of women singing and working on the roof of a bungalow, creating a pastoral atmosphere. Now, perhaps the number of artificially planted plants has increased a lot, but there is not much vitality to be found. . .

........Norbulingka means "treasure garden" and is the summer palace of successive Dalai Lamas. It was first built by the seventh Dalai Lama, Kelsang Gyatso, in the mid-18th century, and was expanded several times until the early 20th century when it reached its current size. It covers an area of 360,000 square meters and has more than 400 rooms of various sizes. The main palaces include Kelsang Phodrang, Golden Phodrang, Zhunzeng Phodrang, Xala Kangda Phodrang, Dadan Mingju Phodrang, etc. Norbulingka is the largest, most beautiful and most distinctive large-scale palace-style garden in Tibet that integrates gardens and palace buildings. The ticket price for Norbulingka is 60 yuan per person (there is a notice at the ticket office: the ticket office at the east gate of the scenic area is the only ticket sales channel, and the scenic area has never authorized cooperation with any organization). There is also a zoo with separate ticket sales in the scenic area. Norbulingka is located on the northwest side of the Tibet Museum and can be arranged to be visited together with the museum.

After the careful management of successive Dalai Lamas, Norbulingka has continuously built new palaces, villas, pavilions, and waterside pavilions, and planted a large number of trees and flowers, so that the garden has gradually expanded and become larger and larger, and finally became a large-scale and magnificent Tibetan-style garden. The garden is lush with plants, and exotic flowers and plants from the southern and northern foothills of the Himalayas have been introduced into the garden, making Norbulingka a unique landscape in Lhasa.



In 1851, the Seventh Dalai Lama built a palace named after himself on the east side of the palace, which includes a Buddhist hall, bedroom, reading room, Dharma protector temple, assembly hall and other buildings. He officially named it "Norbulingka", which marked the beginning of the construction of the garden. Now the scale of Norbulingka is almost half of the Forbidden City in Beijing. Its red walls, yellow tiles and golden roof are similar to those of the Forbidden City in Beijing, and its garden scene has a similar classical charm to the Summer Palace, so it is also nicknamed "the Summer Palace of Lhasa".

Since the 7th Dalai Lama, Norbulingka has been the summer palace for Dalai Lamas to spend the summer and govern the country. It is a typical Tibetan-style garden. However, since Norbulingka is only a place for Dalai Lamas to work and live, and there are not many monks living there, the number of Tibetans who come to Norbulingka is far less than that of other temples and the Potala Palace. Norbulingka is actually just a large park in Lhasa.

Norbulingka, ticket price: 80.

The tour lasts 2-3 hours.

The scenic spots in Norbulingka are quite scattered, some of them are quite far away, and the signboards are often missing at critical moments, resulting in inevitable detours and backtracking. Fortunately, there are few people, it is quiet, and it is quite comfortable under the warm winter sun.

Norbulingka is the summer palace of successive lamas. It consists of several groups of palace buildings, including Gesang Phodrang and Dadan Minggyu Phodrang. Each group of buildings is divided into three main parts: the palace area, the area in front of the palace and the forest area.

We accidentally walked into Norbulingka Park, and there is no entrance fee in this season. The sun was very dazzling, so we sat outside first, and the sun made us lazy. Norbulingka used to be the "summer palace" for dignitaries, and is now called the "Summer Palace" of Lhasa. We wandered around inside, seeing light and shadow, tree shade, flowers, yellow walls and red tiles, and many hard-working Tibetan aunties.



They were moving flower pots. I saw a small flower on the ground and picked it up happily. When I looked up, a Tibetan aunt smiled and picked the largest and most beautiful flower from the pot and gave it to me.

Today's sun seems to be warmer.



📝【Knowing Norbulingka】

Norbulingka used to be the "summer palace" for dignitaries, and the Potala Palace was the "winter palace".

It is now known as the "Summer Palace" of Lhasa.



🕙【Time】May-October: 09:00-18:00, October-May: 09:00-17:30

💡【Duration】1-3 hours.

💰【Tickets】80 in peak season, 60 in off-season, adjusted in real time. (I didn’t need a ticket when I went there, the benefits of Tibetan scenic spots in winter off-season are still quite great)

🚗【Transportation】It takes about half an hour from Barkhor Street, right next to the Nepalese Consulate in Lhasa, and is also close to Tibet University. You can visit them together. It is recommended to apply for a visa first and then visit these two places while waiting for the visa.

⚠️【Note】Closed on Sundays.

The garden layout of Norbulingka not only has the characteristics of the Tibetan Plateau, but also absorbs the traditional techniques of mainland gardens, using buildings, rocks, water surfaces, and trees to create different artistic conceptions.

Norbulingka is the largest man-made park in Lhasa, but it has a natural and beautiful environment, which is in sharp contrast to the carefully carved palace.

It is just like the Summer Palace, Yuanmingyuan and Chengde Mountain Resort in Beijing. These people really enjoy themselves.

The park is very big and you can take a sightseeing bus. Maybe it's the off-season, there are almost no tourists, so I took some photos casually.

One of my favorite places in Tibet. It is very big and generally not crowded with tourists. The architectural style combines the essence of Han and Tibetan. It is actually the harem garden.

It is said to be the summer palace of the Tibetan Living Buddha, Norbulingka, which is pretty good...

It's a bit like visiting a park, but it's actually a Tibetan royal garden.

We usually call the Potala Palace the East Palace and the Norbulingka the Summer Palace.

The interior of Norbulingka is mainly yellow and white, and the yellow walls match the white clothes the best. Flocks of sheep can be seen everywhere inside.

I always thought this was a "closed" palace like the Potala Palace.

I didn’t expect that this is actually a super large People’s Park!

The snowy Norbulingka is even more romantic

The yellow walls and red tiles are particularly beautiful against the white snow.

It has become the best background for taking photos

The leaves of Norbulingka have all fallen off in winter, but it is still very beautiful! Friends who go there in summer must not miss it! It should be very beautiful in summer!

Near the Nepalese Embassy, Norbulingka is the summer palace and Potala Palace is the eastern palace. The styles are very different, one is built on the mountain and the other is built in the forest. Each has its own merits and is worth slowly appreciating. The seven palaces are far apart, so it is recommended to spend half a day to visit.

Norbulingka is the summer palace and Potala Palace is the winter palace.

You can still go and have a look, but you have to calm down.

The Summer Palace in Lhasa. There are many flowers, plants and trees planted inside, including many elm trees that bring back childhood memories. It is very large and open inside. There are few people, so it is suitable for taking photos and walking comfortably.

We took a sightseeing bus as soon as we entered the gate. After the tour, we found that it was not very big and the gardens were far from comparable. Whether it was the exquisite and small details, or the scale and grandeur, it could not compare with any garden in Beijing.

The Summer Palace is so huge inside that it’s quite tiring to walk around. Taking photos is not allowed inside the palace, but it’s actually quite spectacular.

Many of the Phodrangs have murals, all of which are historical relics, and the paintings are very exquisite. Norbulingka is actually not very big, and many of the Phodrangs require you to walk slowly and look at the murals, some of which are restored and some are original.

The Lama's summer palace is a bit like the Summer Palace in Beijing, where the Lamas escape the summer heat. There are many people in Norbulingka, and you must take advantage of the explanation if you can!

There are many exotic little things,

Compared to the Potala Palace, the official visit to Norbulingka seemed abrupt and deserted, and not so popular. It was probably because we went there during the off-peak season, and there were not many people in the entire Summer Palace. I was a little surprised to see so many people in the main hall, and taking photos was not allowed inside.

It was drizzling in Lhasa that day, adding a touch of elegance to the Tibetan garden landscape of Norbulingka.

It is a large-scale palace-style garden, solemn and beautiful. It is a key cultural relic protection unit in my country and is listed on the World Cultural Heritage List.

There are not many people in the Summer Palace of the Potala Palace, and the attractions are very scattered. Overall, it is quite cost-effective.

As the summer palace of the Tibetan king, Norbulingka is full of flowers, shaded by green trees, and surrounded by pavilions and water bridges. The palace is luxurious and magnificent. There is a fountain in front of the gate, which attracts almost all tourists to stop and take pictures.

The Norbulingka looks very important. It used to be the place where the headmen and the upper class held meetings.

After so many years of wind and rain, it still retains its original appearance.

When I went there, it happened to be the Shoton Festival, so there were huge crowds of people. Because it was the Shoton Festival, the green space of Norbulingka Park was full of Tibetan families, who moved their meals, drinks and entertainment here to celebrate the festival. There were blooming flowers everywhere at the entrance of the palace, and the side of the palace was relatively quiet.

There are very few tourists in the park. Occasionally, you can see Tibetan people chatting and walking in groups of three or four, looking very leisurely. There are a lot of vegetation in the park, and there are lush forests on both sides of the road. The discomfort caused by lack of oxygen when you first arrive at the plateau is completely dissipated here. Now it seems that choosing this place for the first trip is a particularly good choice. It is strongly recommended that friends who have just arrived in Lhasa and are not very adaptable can come here to relax first and prepare for the next trip.

Norbulingka is composed of several palaces, called Phodrang. In each palace, there are several monks chanting sutras. The environment inside is quiet and peaceful, and the smell of Tibetan incense wafts around the Buddha statues. One of the palaces is very grand, with a four-meter-high wall extending forward. The entire wall is shining with golden light, as if it were inlaid with gold.

Norbulingka is the summer palace of successive lamas and a place to escape the summer heat. The greenery is really superb, with all kinds of trees and flowers.

Inside are some palaces and small forest-like places, as well as some small museums.

Free of charge.

It is a typical Tibetan garden located in the western suburbs of Lhasa. It is sparsely populated and quiet, suitable for leisure, with magnificent scenery.

The architecture is in typical Tibetan style: golden roof, red and white walls, towering ancient trees and fragrant grass all over the ground, making it seem like a paradise on earth.

It's near the museum. The tickets to Norbulingka are very cool, with 3D effect tickets. My companions kept exaggerating and praising it. Well, it's just a garden. There are many flowers planted and there are garden landscapes. You can go and have fun if you have time.

The tour guide's explanation is also 20 per person, so we used the tour guide all the way. Without the tour guide's explanation, you can't understand the temples in the scenic area.

I love this place so much. I kept taking pictures and took pictures by the wall of Norbulingka. I love this feeling so much.

As soon as you enter the park, you will see dense and tall trees, covering the buildings inside. Only the wide stone road under your feet leads you forward. As there are not many visitors, the park has a rare sense of tranquility. The sunlight shines through the dense leaves and onto the stone slabs, which is very quiet. It is indeed an excellent summer resort.

There were fewer people in Norbulingka, and we played between the two walls for 2 hours...

There is a local snack street outside the north gate of Norbulingka. Many local people in Lhasa eat Tibetan noodles, sweet tea and snacks on this street. The prices are very cheap, just like the roadside stalls. Silly Roe and I ordered Tibetan noodles, fried noodles, sweet tea, and French fries. The meal cost only about 35 yuan, and we were super full.

There are just a few small tables on the roadside. Although it doesn’t look good, the food tastes good.

I personally don't recommend the Royal Gardens. One reason is that the various scenic spots are too scattered and there are only a few of them. The other is that they don't have any special features and are relatively new.

It is a typical Tibetan-style garden. There are many flowers, plants and trees in the garden. It is relatively cool.

There are few people and it is not big inside, so you won’t feel tired walking there. However, it is recommended to spend 20 yuan to take an electric car because the driver on the car will give explanations, and you won’t understand at all if you don’t listen to the explanations.

The main part of the garden consists of three parts: Gesang Phodrang, Jinse Phodrang, and Dadan Mingju Phodrang. "Phochang" means palace. The whole garden is shaded by ancient trees, blooming with flowers, interlaced with deep courtyards, high walls, winding paths and gates, a typical Tibetan garden. However, compared with the Jiangnan gardens, it seems to lack some agility and changes. (Ticket price ￥60/person)

The legendary "Summer Palace" is similar to the Chengde Mountain Resort and has a feeling of a Jiangnan forest garden. You can learn the historical stories of each room by following the tour guide.

Norbulingka is a Tibetan-style garden with many trees, plenty of oxygen and shade, a good place to escape the summer heat. The ticket to Norbulingka is quite unique, it is three-dimensional, I don't know what the material is called, I kept it as a bookmark.

[Norbulingka] is the summer palace

It's like a big garden, with many plants, palaces, exhibition halls (Thangka, Tibetan incense, etc.), zoos (seems to charge admission separately), etc. The houses are basically the three primary colors of Tibetans, yellow, red, and white, which are nice for taking pictures.

Unlike the less green and water-filled urban area of Lhasa, the Norbulingka has dense trees and its architecture combines typical Tibetan style with mainland garden design.

The Summer Palace covers a large area and is recommended for a visit.

If you have the chance, you must go and see this attraction!

It is said that Norbulingka is where the Fifth Panchen Lama lived. It is a very quiet garden with a small zoo inside, which is free.

I felt that this is not a plateau, but a small Jiangnan. The temperament is completely comparable to the large parks abroad, with exquisite buildings, large lawns, various rare and exotic flowers, few tourists, wide roads, and most importantly, the beautiful scenery with the blue sky and the bright sunshine of the Sun City, which is even more refreshing! The park is vast, and it takes 4 hours to walk around, while it takes about 2 hours to take a sightseeing bus. We decisively chose to take the bus, but walking in the park is actually a kind of enjoyment! Leisurely.

In my son's words, the sky is so blue that it looks like a fantasy. Against such a gorgeous background, all buildings look like fairyland, not to mention the magnificent palaces, which give people a sense of déjà vu of the holy land of the Celestial Clan. The exterior of Phodrang is magnificent, but the interior is still small and cramped, and it is difficult to compare with the palaces in the Forbidden City.

The walls of the buildings in Norbulingka are yellow, which is the color symbol of the Yellow Sect. The tour guide said that in the park, the yellow walls are the residences of monks, and the white walls are the residences of laymen. My son asked, our acquaintances should live in the white house, and they should live in the yellow house. Children speak without restraint, and such creativity is the fun that can only be experienced when traveling with children.

The first impression when entering Norbulingka is that there are so many beautiful flowers here, but I don't know the names of most of them. These flowers are really beautiful when paired with Tibetan garden architecture. You can buy tickets on site at the entrance, 60 yuan per person.

It is said that Norbulingka is the Summer Palace of Lhasa, which is like the back garden of Lhasa. There is a separate zoo inside that requires an additional fee. In fact, the animals inside were originally kept in a large courtyard, but later they were managed together for the convenience of management. I rented a 20-yuan audio guide and followed the audio guide all the way. It felt quite interesting. The stage in front of the door is very spectacular. It is said that there will be performances here on major festivals. There are stone lions on both sides of the road.

The pines and cypresses are towering and lush. The late autumn in November does not feel decadent at all. It looks like a colorful oil painting. I took a photo I particularly like at the door and felt like a cool girl. The warm tones of the yellow walls and red tiles blend into the autumn atmosphere around, which is very comfortable. We stayed in Norbulingka for a whole afternoon. When we were tired, we sat down to bask in the sun and stare blankly. The leaves creaked when we stepped on them.

Norbulingka ticket: 80 yuan in peak season, 60 yuan in off-season;

Summer time: 9:00-18:00; Winter time: 9:30-17:30

I went to Norbulingka on the first day. It was very big and beautiful. I was so happy when I saw the beautiful place.

The ancient back garden, the summer resort, the legendary Norbulingka does not look so delicate in winter. The withered and yellow tree trunks stand there swaying, and the strong wind blows up dust, which is quite uncomfortable. However, the particularly eye-catching yellow color is somewhat romantic, which makes me love it.

You can check out more beautiful photos in my travel notes

It's still quite big inside, but there aren't many special places worth visiting. It feels empty. It feels like a park.

2018-4-8

After visiting the Potala Palace, we went to Norbulingka after lunch. It was still cloudy in the morning, but the sun came out when we entered the park. It was very hot, but the scenery was beautiful. However, if the ticket was 80 yuan, I would not go in to visit. It is quite cost-effective to have free tickets this year! It takes about an hour and a half to enter from the east gate and exit from the north gate!

It is now the largest man-made garden in Tibet with the best scenery and the most historical sites. In the dry and hot Lhasa, visiting here will make you feel refreshed and cool.

Norbulingka has a beautiful environment, with many species and numbers of plants and flowers, and the shade of trees makes it look like a "paradise" in Lhasa. As soon as you enter the park, dense and tall trees appear in front of you, covering the buildings inside. Only the wide stone road under your feet leads people forward. Because there are not many tourists, the park has a rare sense of tranquility. The sunlight leaks through the dense leaves and sprinkles on the stone slabs, which is very quiet. The flowers on both sides are diverse and colorful, and the scenery is very rare in Lhasa. The guide of Tianya Outdoor Travel said that if you come during festivals such as May Day and Shoton Festival, you can usually see special activities such as Tibetan opera performances. Especially during the Shoton Festival, Tibetans will sit on the ground in the park with tents and food, chatting and playing cards with relatives and friends.

Not far from the Tibet Museum is the Norbulingka, which some people call the "Summer Palace of Lhasa."

During the Shoton Festival, you can usually see Tibetan opera performances and other special activities. Every seven days before the Shoton Festival, people, groups or families, take ropes or lime to form a circle on the lawn of Linka, which means that the place has been occupied. On the day of the Shoton Festival, people come to Linka early, set up colorful tents, spread mats and carpets on the ground, and put out various wines, drinks, dishes and other festival foods. Sing and drink in the tent, and play games such as Tibetan chess and Tibetan cards. This is how Tibetans spend Linka.

Because it is not summer yet and the season for plants to flourish has not yet arrived, we only see blooming peach blossoms, cherry blossoms, and artificially cultivated roses.

Regarding Norbulingka, I just want to say that if you just want to see the scenery, you should not waste the ticket money. It is really a waste.

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful! It is so beautiful! You must go!

It is said that this is a former summer resort. It is very large and has a zoo. It costs 10 yuan per person. The scenery should be the best in summer. There are not many tourists and not many places to eat nearby. It is a bit bleak in winter, but the planning is very good.

The place where the Tibetan king governed the country in the past has now become a park in Lhasa.

The back garden is particularly lively during the Shoton Festival every year, and it is also a good place for many locals to watch Tibetan opera.

There is a small zoo inside, a very quiet temple, blue sky and white buildings ~ a sense of tranquility