Norbulingka is located at the north bank of Lhasa River to the west of Lhasa city, about three kilometers west of the Potala Palace. In Tibetan, norbu means “treasure” and lingka means “garden”. Norbulingka, also known as Jewelled Park, is the summer palace of the Dalai Lama. With 374 rooms and a total area of 360,000 m^2, Norbulingka is the largest man-made garden in Tibet and is designed in typical Tibetan style. Construction began on

Norbulingka in the mid 18th century and was further developed by successive Dalai Lamas. There are over 100 species of precious plants in the garden; hence, the garden is regarded as the botanical garden in the Tibet plateau. The garden also houses a considerable number of treasured murals, religious scriptures and cultural relics. With its thriving green trees and beautiful flowers, this garden will surely make you forget that you are situated on a plateau. The garden was listed as a World Heritage Site as part of the "Historic Ensemble of the Potala Palace". The garden is also a site for theatre, dancing and festivals, and during the Tibetan Opera Festival, the garden is full of enthusiastic spectators, keen to imbibe the cultural-and scenic-delights on offer.