What are the red and white walls of Potala Palace made of?

Red wall: made of red grass plant white grass. White horse grass itself is a kind of Tamarix branch. It is dried in autumn, stripped of its tip, tied into fist-sized bundles with cowhide ropes, neatly piled together, then compacted layer by layer, fixed with wooden nails and dyed ochre red. This is the white horse grass wall.

Because of the function of white grass, the wall at the top of the building can be made thinner, thus reducing the weight of the wall. It is very important for the Potala Palace, which is as high as 13 floor.

White wall: also known as milk wall, it is made by adding milk and sugar to architectural coatings and paintings.

Extended data:

The three essences of Tibetan architecture-Milk Wall, Agatu and Baimacao-can be seen everywhere in Tibetan areas, especially the Potala Palace, which represents the traditional classics and brilliance of Tibetan architecture.

This red ochre white grass wall has also become one of the symbols of social class in Tibet, which can only be used by aristocratic families or temples.

The special wall of Potala Palace is not only firm and dry, but also breathable and relatively light in weight, which is one of the reasons why Potala Palace has stood on the red mountain for hundreds of years. It has a solemn decorative effect.

In Tibetan areas, white walls and red walls can be seen everywhere in palaces, temples and Tibetan houses, and narrow alleys are clean, beautiful, pure and holy under the sunshine of the plateau.