Northwest China monastery undergoes renovation

LANZHOU - Renovation is progressing at Labrang Monastery in northwest China's Gansu Province.

Some 13 buddha halls, or 80 percent of the repair plan, have been renovated since work began in 2012, according to government authorities in Xiahe County.

The monastery had never undergone systematic repairs since it was built more than 300 years ago. Colored paintings and murals in the monastery showed some damage, while walls had cracks and some floors had become rotten.

The program drew investment of 310 million yuan ($47 million), with plans to restore 16 of the 48 buddha halls by 2019.

Labrang Monastery is one of the largest Tibetan Buddhist temples in China. It currently stores more than 60,000 Buddhism scripts.