Monastery shows new look

Renovation work on the Champa Ling Monastery in Tibet has been completed, part of China's efforts to better protect cultural heritage in the autonomous region, said local officials in Qamdo prefecture.

The monasteryis the first and biggest of the Gelug sect of Tibetan Buddhism in the Khampa area that includes the eastern part of Tibet autonomous region and western Sichuan province. The monastery, founded in 1437 during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), was named after the Buddha Jampa it enshrines. In 2013, the monastery was listed as a key national cultural heritage site.

The project includes renovation of the ancient architecture, water supply, drainage and fire control facilities, which will cost 93.78 million yuan ($15 million), said Losang Chodrak, deputy director of the Cultural Heritage Protection Bureau of Qamdo.