The second phase of the renovation project in public facility of the world famous Potala Palace has been proceeding smoothly, and 90% of the project has been completed by now, sources from the related department.

Since the project was stareted off this April, four large-scale sub-projects have been conducted including drainage, power supply, automatic security and fire alarm systems in the main body of the building as well as the arga dust (a kind of waterproof sticky dust when covering ground and roof for the Tibetan architecture) project left from the first phase of the renovation.

Till now, the drainage system in the main body of the Potala Palace has been put into service, and the installation of the firefighting pipes on the roof of 11 ancient buildings including the White Palace has been completed.

Besides, the renovation of power supply system on the 7th-13th stories of the Red Palace and all the storerooms, aisles and halls open to the tourists on the 5th-7th floors of the White Palace have been completed.

Meanwhile, the regular fire alarm, optical fiber heat detector fire alarm, indoor-vedio fire alarm and the pipe-line air-breathing fire alarm systems in the main body of the Potala Palace have been accomplished.

The Potala Palace was first built in 641 by Songtsan Gambo, ruler of the Tubo Kingdom for Princess Wencheng in China's Tang Dynasty. The complex was later burned down to the ground during a war and was rebuilt in the 17th century by the Fifth Dalai Lama. Repeated repairs and expansions till 1645 finally gave the palace to its present look.

In 1994, the Palace was designated as one of the world cultural heritage sites by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).