Tibet's architectural icon, the Potala Palace, will raise its daily entry quota from 1,500 to 2, 300 as of July 1 when the Qinghai-Tibet railway is put into operation, officials said Friday.

However, many tourists will still be denied entry despite the increase, said Nyima Cering, head of the regional department of cultural relics.

The new limit was set after consultations between tourism and cultural relics protection authorities, said Nyima Cering.

"A limit on entry is necessary for the protection of the Potala Palace," the official said.

He attributed the increase of the quota to the maintenance efforts on the ancient architecture in recent years.

The Chinese government spent 55 million yuan (6.875 million U.S. dollars) repairing the palace, also known as the winter palace of the Dalai Lamas, between 1989 and 1994. Another major repair work, involving 180 million yuan (22.5 million dollars), started in 2002 and will last for five years.

A project to improve the environment of the surrounding areas of the Potala Palace will be finished in late September.

First built by the Tibetan King Songtsa Gambo in the 7th century, the Potala Palace was extended during the 17th century by the fifth Dalai Lama, who ruled Tibet in the 13-storey building on the Red Hill, 3,600 meters above sea level.

The Potala Palace features the essence of ancient Tibetan architecture and art, and houses countless artifacts. Both the Potala Palace and Norbu Linkag, the summer palace of Dalai Lamas, are on the World Heritage List of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Experts estimate the number of tourist to Tibet will grow by 15- 20 percent year by year after the Qinghai-Tibet Railway opens. A total of 2.5 million tourists will come to Tibet in 2010 and 6 million in 2020.

Tourism is the main industry in Tibet. Official statistics show that in the first quarter of this year, the number of tourists to Tibet increased 1.8 percent from the same period in 2005, with 3, 274 overseas tourists providing an income of 1.81 million U.S. dollars.

However, tourism is only a part of the benefits the railway will bring to Tibet. With the railway's operation on Saturday, the region will receive a major boost to its economic and social development.

"We have a saying that half of the Tibet's gross domestic product (GDP) has been wasted on the road. But it will become outdated once the railway starts running," said Chidain Doje, a professor of economics at Qinghai University of Nationalities.

A ton of coal or cement now sells for more than 800 yuan (100 U. S. dollars) in Lhasa, the regional capital of Tibet, almost four times the price in the country's inland provinces. Transportation costs for even these essential products now account for 75 percent of the price.

The Qinghai-Tibet railway stretches 1,956 km from Xining, capital of Qinghai Province, to Lhasa. The section of 814 km from Xining to Golmud began operation in 1984 and the Golmud-Lhasa section started construction on June 29, 2001.

The railway is the world's highest and longest plateau railroad and also the first railway connecting the Tibet Autonomous Region with the rest of China.

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