Very traditional Tibetan architectural skills have been used in
the repair work on Potala Palace in Lhasa, capital of southwest
China's Tibet Autonomous Region, said Qamba Gesang, head of
administration bureau of the lamasery.
"Tibetan architecture is unique, and the patch-up of Tibetan
buildings is also different from those inland buildings," said
Qamba.
More than 90 percent of workers doing for the repairs of the
palace are Tibetan craftsmen, he said.
"Workers of Han ethnicity are not familiar with the Tibetan
techniques," said Qamba.
But new techniques are also used in the repairs, Qamba said. For
example, in the past, lumber was wind-dried for more than 10 years
to avoid erosion. Now it can be used immediately after an
erosion-resistant process.
Potala Palace was first built by the Tibetan King Songtsa
Gamboin the 7th century during the Tang Dynasty (618-907), and was
extended during the 17th century by the Dalai Lama, who ruled Tibet
from the 13-story building on the Red Hill 3,600 meters above sea
level.
With the total investment of 179.3 million yuan (US$21.69
million), the renovation project began in 2002. So far, the repair
work on the Qamqingtalamu exterior wall and Pingcuoduilang corridor
has completed. The patch-up of murals and other decorations inside
the palace are underway, said Qamba.
Potala Palace, together with the Norbu Lingka and the Sakya
Monastery, are the three Tibetan cultural heritage sites being
restored with a total investment of the three reached 333 million
yuan (US$ 40 million).
(Xinhua News Agency September 19, 2004)