The Tibetan Buddhism heritage site Potala Palace is known for its shining gold-plated roof, which has just undergone major repair and polishing in Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region. The face-lift took about a year and a half with 31 million yuan (4.47 million U.S. dollar) of funding appropriated by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage. 

The 1,300-year-old palace has seven golden peaks on the main building. Before the repairs, parts of the gold plating were damaged from long-term exposure to wind, sun and rain. During the repair, workers also improved the safety of the roof's wooden structure and the palace's affiliated buildings.

(Photo/Xinhua)