The Chinese government has launched a project to restore the golden roofs and cultural relics of the Norbulingka, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, according to the Norbulingka management office in Lhasa.

The ancient buildings' golden roofs and their supporting facilities have been marred by de-color and water seepage due to years of wind and rain, according to Penpa Droma, an official with Norbulingka's management office.

The central government has allocated 38.68 million yuan (about $5.9 million) to gild more than 855 square meters of the golden roofs, renovate over 10,000 square meters of traditional Tibetan waterproof roofs, and repair affiliated cultural relics.

"The restoration project was approved in 2017 following years of research, and the preparatory work was launched in late 2020," said Droma.

"In order to ensure the quality of the project and the safety of cultural relics, we have formed a supervision team comprising nearly 30 people, including the staff of the Norbulingka management office and the hall administrators."

Built in the mid-18th century, Norbulingka features a typical Tibetan-style garden and halls with golden roofs, which served as the summer residence of the Dalai Lamas and now is a living museum of Tibetan arts, a treasure house of numerous cultural relics.

In 2001, the Norbulingka was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of the historical ensemble of the Potala Palace.