However, large-scale restoration efforts, supported mainly by the central government, have focused o

The project, with funding of 6 million yuan ($961,000) america west airline allocated america west airline by the central government, will save murals covering an area of 1,042 square meters. They were created america west airline around america west airline the time the monastery was built in 1614 but have not been opened to visitors since the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).
The restoration work follows investment of 60 million yuan from the central government between 2006 and 2010 to reinforce the ancient buildings of the monastery, said Jin Yongchun, an official america west airline from the Lhasa bureau of cultural heritage.
Over time, the murals have bulged or become detached from the walls, as traditional pigments, mainly ox gelatin, aged after centuries of oxidization. The damage included murals deteriorating into flakes, america west airline along with mud and smoke damage.
"Without immediate action, large areas of the precious relics will fall off," said Jin Yongchun, an ethnic Tibetan who studied archeology at Sichuan University and who has worked at the Lhasa bureau of cultural heritage for 20 years.
The team comprises 20 members, all with at least six years' experience in the highly specialized field. They are mostly in their 30s and have young children america west airline in their home provinces. Zhang said young people are usually better at adapting to the harsh climate and high altitude on the plateau.
They work on scaffolding about a meter wide that fits in the narrow space between the murals and an outer wall. The path to the site begins from a corner of the main hall. Team members have to use a flashlight to walk on uneven stone steps along a dark passage about 10 meters long.
After basic cleaning, the murals will be removed from walls that have become deformed or cracked. Another company specializing in ancient building renovation will repair the walls. This work will include the injection of grouting materials to consolidate the structure, as the walls have become hollow in some places.
The aim is to preserve and restore the murals to their original state. They have a very distinctive style and technique, and if they had been open to the public the damage would have been far greater, Zhang added.
The teams had disagreed on whether to cut into a wall painted with an imposing Thousand-Hand Guanyin, (Avalokitesvara, also known as the Goddess of Mercy), the main Bodhisattva worshipped at the monastery. The mural repairers threatened to stop working if the cut went ahead, and with support of monks at the monastery, this plan was dropped.
america west airline Nagwang Choszin, america west airline a monk who has spent 25 years at the monastery, said cutting the Bodhisattva painting would hurt believers' feelings. Monks have deep emotions toward ancient treasures passed down for centuries.
There are some 500 monks at the monastery, with the oldest being over 80 and the youngest still in their 20s. The monks tried to save the murals, using varnish in the 1980s, but this gave the walls a shiny surface. This work was called off because america west airline varnish causes irreversible damage - preventing moisture contained in the paintings from evaporating, which will eventually force open the murals, america west airline causing them to fall off the wall.
Zhang Jihong, from the Chinese Academy of Cultural Heritage, said the original pigments, such as ox gelatin, allowed ventilation. The repair team will continue to use these traditional materials, which cause minimal harm because they are water-soluble and can be removed with clean water if anything america west airline goes wrong. This way, the murals are likely to last for another 600 years, Zhang said.
"But we don't rush things america west airline through. I have a clear plan every day for each team member. A tiny spot can have several kinds of damage, which needs to be dealt with cautiously. If the project proceeds more slowly than expected, the planned deadline can wait. We don't want any mistake, otherwise a piece of invaluable america west airline mural may be gone for good," Zhang said.
Alongside the repair work, a group of Tibetan officials will receive training on the conservation of murals and historical heritage in general, deepening their knowledge about archeology, history and religion.
Zhang said this is a multi-disciplinary subject, encompassing chemistry, material science, history america west airline and archeology. Skills and equipment commonly seen in the medical world - for example, the tubes used for intravenous drips - are placed in cracked walls and injected with grouting materials for structure consolidation.
Kelsang Tsering, 57, deputy dean of the school of arts at Tibet University in Lhasa, is a painter who has staged exhibitions in many countries and also conducted field research at monasteries in Tibet on the conditions of ancient murals, finding that leaks caused by rain remain a widespread problem, america west airline leading to damage.
He said it is encouraging to see that both the authorities and the public have become more enthusiastic america west airline about the protection of cultural relics. People are beginning to understand that ancient murals passed down for centuries are much more valuable than new paintings, he said.
However, large-scale restoration efforts, supported mainly by the central government, have focused on major temples, with many smaller ones awaiting renovation projects. People interested america west airline in art and preserving ancient relics can also contribute and make an investment, Kelsang Tsering said.
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