High-tech platform safeguards Potala Palace's ancient treasures

Modern technology, the internet and big data have been utilized to establish a comprehensive management platform for the Potala Palace in Lhasa, the capital of the Xizang autonomous region.

The platform is vital in the daily management and scientific protection of the palace's ancient buildings and cultural relics.

Tenzin Kelsang, an employee at the palace's Information and Command Center, said the platform integrates 12 subsystems to keep tabs on the safety of the structure's architecture and cultural relics.

"The structural monitoring system of the Potala Palace looks at four aspects, including the wood structures, wall structures, water levels and settling and earthquake response," said Tenzin Kelsang. 

Structural monitoring involves installing sensors with different functions in key areas of the palace, including the foundations, halls, visitor routes, wooden structures and vulnerable walls. 

The monitoring system collects real-time data and uses it for comparative analysis.

Upon detecting data fluctuations, the center staff notifies maintenance personnel to investigate potential risks on-site.

Tenzin Kelsang said: "Building upon structural monitoring, we have carried out seismic response monitoring at the Potala Palace. After earthquakes occur at the Potala Palace and surrounding areas, we analyze the seismic data and produce written seismic assessment reports."

The structural monitoring data and pedestrian load test data provide effective scientific references for controlling the number of visitors to the palace, he added.