By the end of last year, the major part of the renovation project of the Potala Palace in Lhasa was basically finished as learned from the leading office of the three cultural relics' maintenance under the southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region Administration of Heritage, according to a Xinhua report on Thursday in Lhasa, capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region.

Lasting for five years, the project mainly includes the palace's base, main body, an ancient architecture and a treasure hall.

For the present, the items of the White Palace, the memorial pagoda of Fifth Dalai Lama and Xuecheng environment renovation have been completed with an investment of 108.54 million yuan, accounting for 66.6 per cent of the total items and 72.7 of the total investment.

The renovation project for the three cultural relics was launched in June 2002 with a total investment of 330 million yuan, 179.30 million of which is earmarked for the maintenance of the Potala Palace.

By People's Daily Online