The Tibetan Buddhism heritage site Potala Palace is known for its shining gold-plated roof, which has just undergone major repair and polishing in Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region.
The face-lift took about a year and a half with 31 million yuan (4.47 million US dollars) of funding appropriated by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage.
Potala Palace's gold-plated roofs after repairing. /Xinhua Photo
The 1,300-year-old palace has seven golden peaks on the main building. Before the repairs, parts of the gold plating were damaged from long-term exposure to wind, sun and rain.
During the restoration, workers also improved the safety of the roof's wooden structure and the palace's affiliated buildings.
A bird's-eye view of the Potala Palace after restoration. /Xinhua Photo
The Potala Palace was built by Tibetan King Songtsa Gambo in the seventh century and was expanded in the 17th century. It embraced 1.45 million tourists in 2017. The palace was included on the list of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites in 1994.