BIG BILLS, BIG BUILDINGS [MONEY WEEK]

布达拉宫 (Bùdálā Gōng), Potala Palace, and 人民大会堂 (Rénmín Dà Huìtáng), The Great Hall of the People, are the two iconic structures that adorn the Chinese 50 and 100 yuán bills.

Potala Palace, located in Lāsà (Lhasa), the provincial capital of Tibet, is the highest-altitude palace in the world, at 12,100 ft (3,700m) above sea level. It was first built as a wedding present to a Tibetan leader’s wife in the 7th century, and since became a residence of the Dalai Lamas.

The Great Hall of the People is located just south of the Forbidden City in Beĭjīng, and houses the National People’s Congress. It’s also used for celebrations, conventions, and concerts of the highest order, and is in many ways the center of China’s political life.

Extra money-fact of the day: Chinese bills are pentalingual, with “People’s Bank of China” written in Chinese, Mongolian, Tibetan, Uighur, and Zhuàng.

We managed to fit them all in one week! Zhongguo Renmin Yinghang