Xizang sees progress in palace protection

Tuesday marked the 30th anniversary of the designation of the Potala Palace in the Xizang autonomous region as a UNESCO World Heritage site, a milestone celebrated with ongoing efforts to preserve and digitize its cultural treasures.

Over the past three decades, the Chinese government has allocated nearly 800 million yuan ($109 million) for preservation projects, Xinhua News Agency reported. These include major renovations to the palace's structure, investments in ticketing systems and the preservation of ancient texts, according to officials at the Potala Palace Management Office.

Among the initiatives, nearly 1,000 thangka paintings have been cataloged, appraised and scanned in high definition since digitization efforts began in March, said Palden Tsering, a cultural relics librarian at the palace.