Peking — Every chamber in the ancient 1,000room Potala Palace in Tibet, former home of the Dalai Lama, is being equipped with running water and firefighting equipment. After a serious blaze, an official newspaper said Monday.
The English language China Daily said an electrical short-circuits burned down the hall of the Buddha Maitreya last June, the worst fire in the 13story building’s history.
There was no running Water to douse the flames, the report said.
Built in the 17th century on the site of the original seventh century palace, the Potala dominates the Tibetan capital of Lhasa.
The Dalai Lama fled to India after an unsuccessful 1959 uprising against Chinese rule.
The newspaper said the $350,000 project to protect the palace will be completed next month, when China marks the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Tibet autonomous region.
Article extracted from this publication >> August 30, 1985
