Statue of Bodhisattva from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) at the Norbu Lingka in Lhasa

The Chinese Government has always attached importance to the protection of cultural relics in Tibet. In the Agreement Between the Central Government and the Local Government and the local Government of Tibet on the Peaceful Liberation of Tibet (also known as the 17-Article Agreement) signed on May 13,1951, it was explicitly stated that the “religious belief and customs of the Tibetan people must be respected and the Lamaist monasteries protected.” Chair man Mao Zedong also stressed on multitude of occasions that special attention should be devoted to ethnic issues in Tibet because of the unique cultural tradition and religious belief there. He stressed that to respect the religious belief of the Tibetans, Effective measures should be taken to protect monasteries and cultural relics.

In accordance with the related policies and regulations of the Central Government concerning of cultural relics, the Tibetan local government issued the Decision on Strengthening the Work of Cultural Relic Archives on June 30, 1959, formally bringing the management of cultural relics into the administrative realm of the government.

In1961, the State Council promulgated the Interim Regulations on the Management and Protection of Cultural Relics, while announcing the first batch of key cultural relics units under national protection. Among the 180 of such units, nine were located in Tibet; The State Council also required local governments to define the boundary of key national cultural relics units and gradually build scientific archives while carrying out routine protection work. That served as a guideline for Tibet’s protection of cultural relics, making it clear that the protection to cultural relics was a government concern. Based on years of practices and experience, the people’s government of the Management of Cultural relics in 1981, which served as a local law governing the protection of cultural relics.

Working staff register cultural relics in the Potala Palace

On November 19,1982, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress passed the Law of the People’s Republic of China on the Protection of Cultural Relics, laying a legal foundation for the protection of cultural relics, In line with the basic principles of the law and the particular situation of Tibet as well as well as the valuable experience already accumulated in the field, the Standing Committee of the People’s Congress of the Tibet Autonomous Region passed the Regulations of the Tibet Autonomous Region on the Management and Protection of Cultural Relics on May 31, 1991, the first of its kind in Tibetan history. In1993, The people’s government of the Tibet Autonomous Region issued the Decision on Further Strengthening the management of cultural relics according to law. The regional people’s government also drew up Methods on the Management of the Potala Palace to enhance the authority of cultural relics management. All theses laws and regulations have provided a legal basis for the protection of cultural relics in Tibet.

The regional government has set up special institutions to improve the protection of cultural relics in Tibet. In 1959, it set up a committee for the management of cultural relics, historical sites, documents and archives. The committee, as a functional department of the government, had a management group under its control. The committee was the first administrative organ managing cultural relics in Tibetan history. In 1964, the five-year committee evolved into the Committee of the Tibet Autonomous Region for the Management of Cultural Relics. In September 1965, the Committee for the Management of Cultural Relics was formally listed as a functional organ of the government, exercising the administrative authority relating to the protection of cultural relics. It adopted the strategy of centralized management. In 1994, to enhance the leadership, the committee enlarged its size and was restructured, with a major leader of the regional government becoming its chairman and officials of other government departments becoming members. In 1995, the Regional Bureau of Cultural Relics was officially set up as the formal working department of the regional government of the regional government and the administrative body of the committee, which took direct charge of the regional museums and cultural relics stores well as management of fices at Potala Palace and Norbu Lingka.

Beginning in the 1980s, committees for the management of cultural relics were established in Shannan, Xigaze, Lhasa. Ngari and other localities. In counties like Qoggyai endowed with a relatively large number of cultural relics, special institutions were set up to undertake the management of cultural relics. Monasteries under national protection such as Jokhang, Zhaibung, Sera and Tashilhunpo set up groups to take care of the protection and management of cultural relics in their respective monasteries.

The establishment and perfecting of institutions for managing cultural relics have enabled Tibet to form a sophisticated administrative network which has greatly promoted the protection of cultural relics.

Because Tibet is different from other provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities in China in terms of its society, history, natural environment, religion and culture, special challenges are presented to work and life there. In addition, the protection of cultural relics requires special skills and needs a large number of well-trained personnel. Therefore, the Central Government has attached great importance to the training of specialists in the protection of Tibetan cultural relics. The work started right after the peaceful liberation of Tibet and remarkable progress had been made by the 1980s. A large number of young Tibetans went to study in inland universities and colleges. They returned to Tibet after graduation specializing in the protection of cultural relics. Meanwhile, some inland college graduates majoring in cultural relics and museums went to work in Tibet. They have become the backbone of the protection of Tibetan cultural relics. Today, Tibet boasts hundreds of professionals dedicated to cause.

Tibetan archaeologist Soinam Wangdui inspecting newly discovered cultural relics

The protection of cultural relics is also a mass undertaking. Many cultural relics in Tibet, including ancient architecture, ruin sites, tombs and stone carvings, are located in the open, Monasteries, in particular, are cultural relics protection units as well as places where people conduct their religious activities. This makes the protection of cultural relics in Tibet more difficult as a sole reliance on professionals is insufficient. The broad masses should also be involved. For this purpose, the Tibet Bureau of Cultural Relics has for a long time launched various publicity campaigns, advocating knowledge, laws and regulations about the protection of cultural relics through the mass media (the press, radio and TV broadcasting). Meanwhile, many books and magazines have been published to spread information on cultural relics protection and enhance public consciousness on the subject. Furthermore, the bureau has employed legal means to protect cultural relics. It has cooperated with law-enforcing departments such as public security organs, courts, industrial and commercial bureaus, and customs offices to crack down on smuggling, theft and other criminal activities relating to cultural relics.

The exhibition of cultural relics is an important way to educate people about relics and obtain domestic and overseas support and aid. In addition to various exhibitions in Tibet, cultural relics departments in the region have held many exhibitions in Beijing, Guangzhou and many other cities. Over the past decade, along with China’s reform and opening, Tibetan cultural relics have been exhibited and well received in France, Japan, Argentina, Italy and other countries.

The fundamental work in the protection of cultural relics is to conduct surveys and keep in formed about the distribution and preservation of cultural relics. Since its peaceful liberation, Tibet has conducted multiple scientific investigations with the support and assistance of cultural relics departments in other provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities as well as related universities, colleges and research institutes. From the early 1980s to the early 1990s, Tibet conducted a 10-year survey on all cultural relics in the region, and built archives. So far, there are over 1.720 sites of cultural relics in Tibet, including 60-odd ruin sites from the Stone Age, 20 sites with ancient rock paintings 240 ancient tombs, and over 1,000 examples of ancient architecture. The survey has provided a scientific basis for the protection of Tibetan cultural relics.

Buddhist stone from the Guge Kingdom

Like many other countries in the world, China manages its cultural relics at three levels-State, province (municipality and autonomous region), and county. Governments at the three levels protect and manage cultural relics under their jurisdiction according to the law. Approved by the State Council, there are 18 sites in Tibet that are under State-level protection. Lhasa, Xigaze and Gyangze are listed as historical and cultural cities, and their development must be kept in line with the principle of cultural relics protection and can only be implemented with State approval. The Potala Palace has been listed as world cultural heritage site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

To enhance the preservation, exhibition and publicity of Tibetan cultural relics, a huge modern museum has been built in Lhasa. This gigantic project, costing 100 million yuan, covers an area of about 50,000 square meters, with a construction area of around 12,000 square meters. It is a multi-purpose provincial museum, with various exhibition halls, ethnic villages and conference rooms.

To guarantee the safety of cultural relics, the State Council and the local government of the Tibet Autonomous Region have allotted a total of 100 million yuan over the past 40 to salvage and renovate key cultural relic units like the Potala Palce.

　　　The 100,000 Pagodas in Palkor Monastery