Renovations Complete on Tibet's Jokhang Temple

 Xinhua, June 8, 2011

 

The repair work on Jokhang Temple, in Lhasa, capital of southwest Tibet Autonomous Region, finished Wednesday after a two-year effort.

 

The project, funded by 28.83 million yuan (4.4 million U.S. dollars), began in July 2009 and was intended to protect the security of the architecture and cultural relics, said Tenzin Namgyal, deputy director of the Tibet Autonomous Regional Cultural Heritage Bureau, at the ceremony held in the temple Wednesday morning.

 

More than 18 million yuan (2.8 million U.S. dollars) was spent on renovating the main structure.

 

The project was part of the 570 million yuan program of preserving 22 historical relics in Tibet.

 

The renovations included sealing numerous cracks on the walls and replacing cracked or moth-eaten structures in the main building.

 

Guided by the principle of "repairing the old as the old," the renovations were done in a manner that the original appearance of the structure was maintained.

 

"The state has invested heavily to protect Jokhang Temple, which was welcomed by the lamas and Buddhist believers," said Lhapa, chief of the Democratic Management Committee of Jokhang Temple.

 

Jokhang Temple, with a history of over 1,300 years, has undergone several major repairs since 1980s.