$34m project preserves historic palace

A Tibetan woman, carrying her 10-month-old son, is among the thousands of tourists visiting the site each day.

Yulha Tsering, a firefighter stationed at the site, said: "The palace has been standing in the wind and rain for more than 1,300 years.

"The construction materials were mainly earth, stones and wood, so renovation is very necessary."

Aside from the large-scale restoration projects by the two governments, the palace office has a renovation department that is responsible for daily preservation and maintenance work.

The number of tourists and pilgrims visiting the palace has increased greatly as a result of the restoration efforts, said Ding.

"The daily number of visitors is more than 6,000 in the summer season, compared with 2,000 to 3,000 in the past."

The palace was built in the seventh century by the Tibetan king Songtsen Gampo. It was extended by the fifth Dalai Lama, and was used as the residence of successive Dalai Lamas.