The Architecture of the Medical College on Chakpori, Lhasa

Fig. 23:
Peter Aufschnaiter on top of the Medical College on Chakpori

Decoration on top of the tower
Photograph by Heinrich Harrer
1948

Peter Aufschnaiter and Heinrich Harrer together made modern maps of Lhasa. Aufschnaiter did the measurements and Harrer collected other information like names of buildings. In this photo Aufschnaiter has put up his tripod on the roof of the tower of the Medical College. The proof of this is the curved stone railing of the roof and the alignment of the upper part of Potala with the horizon. When comparing with the alignment of the Potala roof on Spencer Chapman’s photo it is evident that Harrer’s photo is shot from a higher level, namely the top of the tower.

The photo shows that the object in the centre of the circular roof is indeed a copper decoration and not a wooden mast as I thought earlier.