CHINA’S Tibet Autonomous Region plans to invest over 40 million yuan (US$5.6 million) to protect the Jokhang Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Lhasa.

The large-scale investment, subsidized by both central and local governments, mainly focuses on upgrading the security, power, and fire-fighting facilities of the temple.

The upgrade is expected to be completed within the year, including the construction of an underground fire prevention pond, said Jin Yong-chun, head of Tibet’s cultural heritage administration.

In mid-March, Tibet has poured over 6 million yuan into protecting more than 1,000-year-old stone tablets in front of the Jokhang Temple.

(Xinhua)