Several large-scale renovations on the Potala Palace — a UNESCO World Heritage Site — have been undertaken since the establishment of the Xizang autonomous region in 1965, and the governments have continued to invest heavily.

According to the renovation department of the Potala Palace management office, the first repairs were conducted between 1989 and 1994 because of security risks. The second repair took place between 2002 and 2009 with more than 200 million yuan ($28 million) invested by the central government.

Dawa Ngodrub, head of the department, said the money for the second renovation was mainly spent on repair of the palace's structure, the restoration of its murals and environmental improvements in its Shol Courtyard.

The daily maintenance of the palace is a long-term project, and renovation is ongoing, he said.

"In recent years, the renovation work mainly involved seven golden roofs," Dawa Ngodrub said.

He said that in 2018, the outbuilding of the Shol Courtyard was renovated, which was of great importance. Government investment totaled more than 30 million yuan.