Preserving Lhasa's old city (video)

2013-08-06 17:39:55

(cntv)

Tibet has seen huge changes over the past years. A big renovation project has just been completed in the old town of Lhasa. According to the local government, the project is aimed at better protecting the traditional urban areas. It alos means the conservation of historical relics, repair of old architectures, reconstruction of new buildings and provision of energy-saving amenities.

Lhasa’s old city area, a holy place in Tibetan Buddhism.

A big renovation project has just been completed in the old town of Lhasa.

For over a thousand years, Tibetans have lived here, around the Johkang Monastery. A new round of government-initiated conservation projects has just been completed.

67-year-old Qie Mei has lived here since she was born. She remembers that Barkhor Street was originally a dirt road with old houses. Back then, there were only a few peddlers.

The city government launched the project last December. One-and-a-half billion yuan has gone into improving the area’s basic infrastructure and appearance. And traditional Tibetan architectural styles have been preserved.

A big renovation project has just been completed in the old town of Lhasa.

Ever since the 1980s, several renovations have taken place in the old city area. And the last one has brought the biggest changes. For example, the central Barkhor Street used to be a maze of narrow alleys with irregular electrical wiring overhead. It was bustling with businesses. Today, it has a completely new look-- all of the vendors have been relocated nearby -- leaving more spacious walkways for pilgrims and visitors.

Ci Dha is the deputy chief of the conservation project. He says the project will make Barkhor a high-end tourist destination, while downplaying its commercial function. But most important for the centuries-old pilgrim’s route is authenticity.