Passage Three
Tibetan architecture has been influenced by Chinese culture as well as Indian culture, and reflects a deeply Buddhist approach. The Buddhist wheel, along with two dragons, can be seen on nearly every Buddhist temple whose designs and inside details are different in Tibet. The design of the Tibetan towers can be different, from roundish walls in the western areas of Tibet to squarish, four-sided walls in Ladakh, an area near Himalayas which is known for its remote mountain beauty.
The most unusual feature of Tibetan architecture is that many of the houses and temples are built on elevated, sunny sites facing the south, and are often made out of a mixture of rocks, wood, cement and earth. Little fuel is available for heating or lighting, so flat roofs are built to keep heat inside, and multiple windows are built to let in sunlight. Walls are usually sloped inwards at 10 degrees as a measure to fight against frequent earthquakes in the mountainous area.
Standing at 117 meters in height and 360 meters in width, the Potala Palace, which means the holy land of Buddhism, is considered as the most important example of Tibetan architecture. Formerly the living place of the Dalai Lama, it contains over a thousand rooms within thirteen stories, and houses portraits of the past Dalai Lamas and statues of the Buddha. It is divided into the outer White Palace, which serves as the administrative quarters, and the inner Red Palace, which contains the assembly hall of the Lamas and a vast library of Buddhist scriptures (经文). It is now a state museum of China and a popular tourist attraction.

The walls are usually sloped inwards at 10 degrees to ____.