Ancient Tibetan monastery renovation completed

The Tarna Monastery, surrounded by mountains. [Photo/Xinhua]

Renovation work on an ancient Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Northwest China's Qinghai province, which was damaged after a 7.1-magnitude earthquake in Yushu Tibetan autonomous prefecture on April 14, 2010, is now complete.

The Tarna Monastery, located in Nangchen county in Yushu Tibetan autonomous prefecture, is an ancient Tibetan monastery built in the 11th Century, Xu Qingfeng from the provincial culture and press publication department said on Wednesday..

The Tarna Monastery is believed to be related to Gesar, a legendary hero of the Tibetans mentioned in an 11th Century ballad about a half-human, half-god Tibetan king who conquered the devils of other tribes and sought to help people, according to Xu.

The Epic of King Gesar, which was listed as a World Intangible Cultural Heritage item by UNESCO, is considered a masterpiece of Tibetan folk literature.

There are also 31 towers on the hillside next to the monastery, standing for Gesar and his 30 generals. The towers and an ancient Buddhist Hall in the monastery were seriously damaged in the earthquake.

Renovation work on the monastery was launched in 2011. Since the monastery is located at a high altitude, it took several years to fully restore its original appearance.

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