In mid-July, the project started to demolish and rebuild the main hall of the Gedan Songzanlin Lamasery in Shangri-La County, southwest China's Yunnan Province.

The lamasery, known as the mini-Potala Palace, has three main halls, namely, the Grand Zhacang Hall, Jikang Hall and Zhukang Hall. Zhacang, now undergoing rebuilding, is the highest building and center of the lamasery.

 
Photo taken on Jan. 20, 2009, shows a view of the Songzanlin Lamasery, in Shangri-la County, Diqing Tibet Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Yunnan province. (Xinhua Photo)

The Grand Zhacang Hall went through renovations in the 1980s. However, due to the shortage of funds and limit of technology, the safety problem in the hall's structure has not been solved. The rebuilding of the hall becomes a must as the lamasery is one of the most famous destinations for pilgrims and a popular tourist attraction in Yunnan.

The new hall, which is expected to be finished by the end of this year, will cover an area of 4,000 sq m. Upon completion, the hall will be rebuilt in its original shape.

 
Photo taken on Feb. 13, 2009 shows a gate that was newly built in the Songzanlin Lamasery, in Shangri-la County, Diqing Tibet Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Yunnan province. (Xinhua Photo)

The Songzanlin Lamasery, built in 1679 in the Qing Dynasty and covering an area of 330,000 sq m, is the largest of its kind for Tibetan Buddhism in Yunan and now has more than 700 monks.