The Potala Palace in Lhasa, Southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, is reflected in a lake in Nanshan Park on October 12, 2023. Photo: Shan Jie/GT

A total of 2.17 billion yuan ($302 million) has been invested to support the protection and conservation of the cultural heritage in Xizang Autonomous Region during the "13th Five-Year Plan" period (2016-20), the Xinhua News Agency reported.
The funds mainly helped support the region's cultural heritage protection, archaeological and historical research, high-quality development of museums, enhancement of science and technology and other fields related to the sector.

As Xizang transitions into the "14th Five-Year Plan," which will last from 2021 to 2025, an additional 35 cultural heritage support projects have been completed, with a dedicated allocation of 25.54 million yuan.

On October 9, the National Cultural Heritage Administration and the local government jointly signed an agreement to advance cultural heritage preservation. The pact aims to improve the protection and utilization of cultural heritage in the region and support the high-quality development of cultural heritage affairs in fields such as protection and utilization of cultural heritage and historical sites, protection and management of cultural heritage resources, archaeological research, technological innovation and talent training, according to the report.

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2012, Xizang has registered and documented a total of 4,468 immovable cultural heritage sites, 2,373 of which are designated as cultural heritage protection units.

Additionally, a collection of 510,000 movable cultural artifacts has been catalogued, which significantly enhanced the clarity of the region's cultural resource landscape. The region has also embarked on 195 archaeological excavation projects, providing valuable insights into the historical narratives of the Tibetan people.

Xizang has additionally introduced a set of local regulations to fortify cultural heritage protection and management since 2012. These regulations, combined with protection plans for key national cultural heritage sites such as the iconic World Heritage Site Potala Palace, have contributed to the overall improvement of the cultural heritage protection.

Global Times