Lhasa residents unite to paint Potala Palace in annual tradition

Thousands of residents in Lhasa joined the work in painting the exterior walls of the Potala Palace, an annual routine "makeover" project for the UNESCO World Heritage site. [Photo by Palden Nyima/chinadaily.com.cn]

Over the last week, thousands of residents of Lhasa have joined the work of painting the exterior walls of the Potala Palace, an annual routine "makeover" project for the UNESCO World Heritage site.

The staff of the palace's management office and the spontaneous participation of residents mix ingredients such as milk, honey, sugar, saffron, and various lime colors to create special white, red, and yellow paints, which are then sprayed onto the exterior walls.

The unique paint formula is more adhesive and less prone to peeling, providing better protection for the ancient walls.

Around the ninth month of the Tibetan calendar, after the rainy season in Xizang, the Potala Palace undergoes a "beautification" painting.

At the mixing stations, many believers and volunteers have brought sugar, milk, saffron, and gelatin.

Wangyal, who hails from Qinghai province, has lived in Lhasa for 20 years and usually operates a clinic and a pharmaceutical store there. For the Potala Palace painting, he has voluntarily been responsible for mixing paint for three consecutive days. In his view, the Potala Palace holds immense sacred significance in the hearts of Tibetans, and he and others are willing to volunteer devoutly to protect it.

"I feel proud to be part of the volunteering painting this year. It's a lot of fun to paint the walls with many residents. I enjoyed contributing," said Wangyal.

The complex architectural structure of the Potala Palace requires a significant amount of painting work, with numerous volunteers involved, and the painting activity took a week.