China invests heavily in preservation of Potala Palace

LHASA-- The Chinese government has poured nearly 800 million yuan (about $111.3 million) into various projects over the past 30 years to preserve the Potala Palace, a World Heritage site in Southwest China's Xizang autonomous region.

These funds have been allocated for repairs on the main structure, restorations of the golden roof, structural monitoring, preservation and utilization of ancient books and documents as well as an online ticketing system, according to the palace's management office.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Potala Palace's recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The ancient architecture located in the regional capital Lhasa was built by Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo in the seventh century and expanded in the 17th century. Holding a collection of invaluable scriptures, historical documents and precious relics like statues, paintings and frescoes, the palace is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Xizang.

Since 2014, the palace has received some 14.4 million visitors from home and abroad, said Kunga Tashi, deputy director of the management office.

A typical Tibetan traditional earth-stone-wood structure, the Potala Palace went through two major restorations, with the first lasting from 1989 to 1994 and the second starting in the early 21st Century.

Each restoration adhered to the principle of "restoring the old as the old" and made full use of traditional skills.

"The two large-scale restorations have resolved the critical hazardous conditions of the main structure, laying a solid foundation for their long-term protection and utilization," Kunga Tashi said.

The management office has established a maintenance department, employing over 60 local traditional artisans now, such as carpenters, tailors and painters, according to Tashi Phuntsog, head of the department.

To date, over 110,000 artifacts within the palace have been filed as movable cultural relics, including a thangka painting of Qing Dynasty Emperor Qianlong (1736-1795).

The palace has undertaken a project to preserve and utilize ancient books and documents, successfully completing the digital archiving of 1.23 million items to date.

Firefighters have been stationed there for 40 years, with no fires having been reported during this time.

In 2015, the region enacted a regulation on protecting the cultural heritage of the Potala Palace, preserving the World Heritage site through local legislation.