China Grand Canal Museum | World Heritage from the Snowy Plateau

The Potala Palace: World Heritage from the Snowy Plateau Feb 6–May 19, 2024 Organizers: China Grand Canal Museum The Potala Palace, Xizang Autonomous Region Exhibition Venue: Exhibition Halls 11 and 12, China Grand Canal Museum The exhibition is divided into five parts: Preface Hall, Majestic for Millennia, All Things Within, Heavenly Road and Divine Workmanship, and End Hall. The white paint on the outer walls of the Potala Palace is made from white lime, milk, white sugar, rock sugar, and other ingredients. The red paint is made from brown sugar, honey, saffron, and other ingredients. These paints are known for their freshness and high viscosity. In addition to the Potala Palace, many temples in Tibet also use these sweet-smelling paints. Every September in the Tibetan calendar, the Potala Palace undergoes its annual wall painting project, which is a routine "new look" for the palace. During the painting season, pilgrims and tourists from all over the world spontaneously join in the painting work. Bema grass, also known as bianma grass, is made from tamarisk branches. It is a shrub that grows in the deep mountains of high-altitude areas. It grows slowly, is hard, and its branches are not easily forked. Through long-term building practice, the Tibetan people have cleverly applied bema grass to buildings due to its characteristics of being unbendable and resistant to decay. It has become a unique building decoration material in Tibet. Using bema grass as a wall material can reduce the weight of the wall and create a unique decorative effect. China Grand Canal Museum