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Chinese Government Contributes to Guarantee Potala Palace
A Tibetan specialist on the protection of antiques said Thursday in Leipzig of Germany that the Chinese government has made extensive efforts to repair and maintain the Potala Palace.
Qamba Galsang, chief of the Potala Palace Research Office, told experts from the Leipzig Museum for Nationality Studies that Beijing has contributed some 55 million Yuan (about 6.8 million US dollars) to repair the Potala Palace during the period of 1989-1994. And now the Chinese government annually pays 300,000 yuan (36,000 dollars) or more for the routine maintenance for the palace, said Qamba Galsung, who is visiting Leipzig to exchange experiences on antique protection with German experts.
Sixty-five lamas are hired to look after the building everyday, he said. With a history of 13 centuries, the Potala Palace is not only the most famous structure in Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, but also a treasure vault full of cultural antiquities. He stressed that to repair the historic building, just like healing a very old man, is a task full of challenge.
Giving a lecture to German museum staff and some 20 students at the Leipzig University, Qamba Galsang said the repair project has not altered any internal or external structures within the palace.
The Tibetan expert said that during the repair, modern devices, such as electricity and water systems, even video cameras, were installed to keep the building functional and to keep secure thousands of relic in the palace.
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