Residence

Potala Palace has been the chief residence of the Dalai Lama since the 5th Dalai Lama began construction in 1645 atop an early palace erected by Songtsän Gampo (of course.)
It is now a UNESCO world heritage site which puts the Chinese government in the somewhat awkward position of needing to maintain the home of the 14th Dalai Lama whom they forced into exile in the 1950s.This is a statue of a snow lion, a celestial animal of Tibet.
Stairs.  So many stairs.  The walls are as thick as a fortress.