The Potala Palace Square expansion and renovation project in Lhasa, Tibet, has entered its final stage. It should be completed by mid-July in time for celebrations marking the 40th anniversary of the founding of the Tibet Autonomous Region on September 1.

The project is part of the renovation of the Potala Palace, the former home of the Dalai Lama, which was placed on the United Nations Educations, Science and Cultural Organization's (UNESCO) list of cultural heritage sites in 1994. The square has long been a venue for major meetings and celebrations in Tibet.

The expansion project, which started on March 20, cost about 150 million yuan (US$18.1 million). It includes the expansion and repair of the central square, renovation of the lake in the eastern area, renewal of the water system and the planting of trees in the western area, according to Chen Xianshun, deputy director of the expansion and renovation project office for Potala Palace Square.

Some departments and companies have moved from the square, adding about 30,000 square meters of space. In place of the buildings in the western part of the square, woods and an artificial lake are being constructed.

To date, about 60 percent of the project is complete and 95 percent of telecommunications, broadcasting and power facilities installation work have been done.

As part of measures to protect the cultural relics and historical flavor of the square, the Takdra Lukhong Stele has not been removed. But bricks have been laid around it and cracks in its structure have been filled. The stele, standing on the south side of the palace, commemorates the achievements of Takdra Lukhong, a senior advisor to the Tubo king who ruled Tibet about 1,200 years ago.

Irrigation-wise, the square will draw its water from Dragon King Pond to the east lake and filtered water will then piped into the west lake and finally into the artificial lake being built close to Panchen Lama Villa.

A wall embossed with images carrying the theme of Tibet: Past and Present will be erected on the south of the square, north of the regional government's building. It will boast 13 alto-relievos, the largest being 90 meters long, designed by the Xi'an Academy of Fine Arts.

(China.org.cn by Yan Xinxia, translated by Li Shen, July 7, 2005)