Investment bookends Tibetan knowledge
The Potala Palace in Lhasa on January 1, 2019.
The Chinese government will invest 300 million yuan (US$45 million) over the next 10 years to protect and utilize ancient documents in the Potala Palace in Lhasa, southwest China’s Tibet Autonomous Region.
At present, nearly 40,000 precious ancient documents in Chinese, Tibetan, Manchu, Mongolian and Sanskrit are held at the palace.
“It is stunning to see so many rare ancient documents distinctive in content, versions and artistic value,” said Pedron, an expert from the ancient document protection center of Tibet.
Local protection workers will carry out restoration, digitize them and arrange an exhibition.
Local staff will roll out the digital registration for about 2,800 books of ancient documents in Chinese and Tibetan.
The ancient documents are also precious historical files that demonstrate and help safeguard a unified China, Jorden, vice director of the management office of the Potala Palace, said yesterday.
“To maintain the diversity of Chinese culture and make it pass on from generation to generation, it is essential for us to protect and make good use of these ancient documents,” said Jorden.
The Potala Palace was built by Tibetan King Songtsa Gambo in the seventh century.
The palace was included on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1994.
