The Potala Palace is the symbol of Tibet and Lhasa. It was originally built by King Songtsen Gampo in 637 to greet his bride Princess Wen Cheng of the Tang Dynasty. It was re-built in the 1600s and from then till 1959, was the residence for the Dalai Lama. Today, along with the Potala Palace Square acrossed the street, it is the main tourist attraction of Lhasa.