The ruins of an ancient Tibetan kingdom are set to become a major tourist attraction, thanks to the work of one man who is determined to ensure that this mysterious realm isn't forgotten, report Luo Wangshu in Zanda county, Ngari prefecture, and Da Qiong in Lhasa.

Kalzang Rinzin knows every stone in the ruins of the Guge kingdom, a 10th century realm that existed in what is now Ngari prefecture in the western part of the Tibet autonomous region. The suntanned 37-year-old has lived in the former royal palace for nearly seven years and has examined every mural and statue in the assembly halls.

"The single remaining pedestal is fashioned in the shape of a lion's paw. If you look carefully, you can still see the claws. Unlike the women in murals in Lhasa, the women in the Guge murals have wasp waists, what we call the Tibet-Kashmir style," he said.