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Restoration and protection of the Potala Palace  |
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 The biggest ever restoration program began in Tibet in June 2002 as work started on two palaces of the Dalai Lamas and an ailing ancient lamasery.
The 330-million-yuan program will help prevent the 1,300-year-old Potala Palace, the Winter Palace of the Dalai Lamas, being eroded by wind and eaten by worms. Also on the list are the Norbuglinkha, the Summer Palace of the Dalai Lamas, and the Sagya Lamasery, which contains numerous rare religious relics.
This is the second time that work is done on the Potala Palace where the foundations are sinking and there are 57 places considered dangerous. The first large-scale renovation on the Potala Palace was carried out in 1989 at a cost of 50 million yuan and took six years to complete.
Now the Chinese government annually pays 300,000 yuan or more for the routine maintenance for the palace, according to Qamba Galsung, chief of the Potala Palace Research Office.
Computers to look after the Potala Palace
In 2001, the China Culture Relic Exchange Center (CCREC) donated some 100,000-yuan worth of computers to the Potala Palace in Tibet Autonomous Region, known as the Buddhist Museum of Tibetan History and Culture.
The donation has sped up the management of the Potala Palace, thus the old manual managerial work has given way to a new computerized process of registration and management of relics in the palace.
Lama firemen guard the Potala Palace
The Potala is vulnerable to fire with its wooden-earth structure and the presence of large amounts of silk and cotton fabrics. In order to find any hidden danger that may lead to a catastrophic blaze, six strong lamas have been selected to patrol around the monastery everyday.
According to the lama, the Potala has set up security and fire departments and the guards patrol the palace twice a day. There is also a night guard to look over security issues.
In 1994, the palace invested 4.7 million yuan to install an electronic round-the-clock monitoring system. Moreover, the monastery has purchased advanced fire-fighting equipment.
In 1997, the standing committee of the regional people's congress promulgated a local law on the protection of the Potala. According to the law, the number of lamps in the palace is restricted, while the use of gasoline and liquid gas is totally banned.
Editor: Rebecca & Ronnie
Source: peopledaily.com
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