Historic Ensemble of the Potala Palace, Lhasa

• Major visitor accommodation and associated infrastructure (Expansion of tourism-related facilities in and adjacent to the boundary of the property)
• Ground transport infrastructure (Negative impact of the rehabilitation projects on the protection of the traditional urban tissue of the historic centre)
• Deliberate destruction of heritage
• Housing (Uncontrolled urban development in and adjacent to the boundary of the property)
• Fire (Fire damage to the Jokhang Temple Monastery in February 2018)
• Localised utilities (Potential impacts of proposed television tower)
• Ritual / spiritual / religious and associative uses (Visitor experience for pilgrims and tourists)

A joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS/ICCROM Reactive Monitoring mission visited the property on 8-14 April 2019, and the mission report is available at https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/707/documents/. Subsequently, the State Party submitted a state of conservation report on 9 December 2019, which is also available at the link above. The State Party’s report notably provides the following information:

• Following the fire accident at Jokhang Temple Monastery, on 17 February 2018, the State Party initiated a rapid response mechanism. A detailed damage assessment did not reveal any significant damage to the physical attributes that carry the property’s Outstanding Universal Value (OUV). A repair plan to ensure the safety and stability of the monastery was developed and implemented, and risk prevention and security control measures have also been developed to prevent such incidents in the future. An underground fire protection pond has been constructed without changes to the overall landscaping of the area;
• To prevent inappropriate developments and the demolition of historic buildings, the State Party has been preparing conservation plans of the three component parts of the property as requested by the World Heritage Committed in Decision 40 COM 7B.31. Drafts of the plans have been completed and are undergoing expert review;
• Local artisans and traditional techniques are employed for the maintenance and periodic painting and cleaning of the walls of the property. The State Party has constituted a team of qualified Tibetan artisans to oversee the process;
• The State Party has implemented measures to improve visitor management, enhance visitor experience and reduce risks to the property. These include an online ticketing system, separating visitation times for pilgrims and tourists, and capping the number of tourists at any given time;
• The existing television tower was constructed in 1985 before the inscription of property. Local authorities plan to deliberate on the feasibility and necessity of re-location of the tower in the context of revision of the overall planning of Lhasa City;
• Other measures aimed at better protection and management of the cultural property include strict implementation of regulations, capacity building for improved management, digital documentation and establishment of monitoring and early warning systems;
• The stele in front of the Jokhang Temple Monastery were deteriorating, and a decision was made that the best way to protect them was through the construction of protective pavilions. An abstract of the Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) for the pavilions was submitted to the World Heritage Centre in May 2020, following the construction of the pavilions.

In June 2020, the State Party provided information on the construction of protective shelters around three stelae located in front of the Jokhang Temple Monastery and fire protection measures, which had been requested by the World Heritage Centre by a letter of 25 May 2020. ICOMOS provided a technical review of the new stele pavilions and advised that they have a negative impact on the cultural setting and cultural context of the Jokhang Temple Monastery and that alternative solutions should be considered. The State Party responded in February 2021, and further advice has been provided, but this matter remains unresolved. This technical review also considered the new fire protection pond and pilgrim and tourism management in the Jokhang Temple plaza.

The 2019 Reactive Monitoring mission concluded that the general state of conservation within the Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple Monastery and Norbulingka is relatively good and confirmed that the 2018 fire did not affect the whole of the structures, art, or belief system of the Jokhang Temple, and the overall impact on the authenticity and integrity of the temple was minimal. The State Party has undertaken various appreciable measures aimed at emergency stabilization, damage assessment, subsequent repair, and fire prevention and security control measures to prevent such disasters in the future, which should be welcomed. The reconstruction of the Ventilation Chamber and its golden roof at the Jokhang Temple Monastery has been made to relatively good standards of workmanship and tolerance. Modest changes have been made to the Ventilation Chamber to improve the safety of the building by mitigating the risk of fire. The area most severely impacted by the fire dates primarily to the period of major reconstruction in the 1980s. The OUV of Jokhang Temple Monastery is unchanged as a result of the fire and subsequent restoration efforts, as ascertained by the 2019 mission. 

There is concern about the construction of the protective pavilions to cover the stelae in the immediate vicinity of the Jokhang Temple. The State Party has responded to ICOMOS’ technical review and received further advice, but this matter remains unresolved. It is recommended that the Committee regret that the plans and HIA were not submitted to the World Heritage Centre for review prior to the construction of these pavilions. Noting the State Party’s indication that the stelae have been in their current position for hundreds of years, it would nevertheless be appropriate to pursue measures to reduce the size of the protective structures to a minimum and to re-design them to be less visually prominent and less historically confusing. It is therefore recommended that the Committee request the State Party to explore alternative solutions in accordance with the advice provided in ICOMOS’ technical review, and to submit a full HIA, prepared in accordance with the 2011 ICOMOS Guidance on Heritage Impact Assessments for Cultural World Heritage Properties, for review by the Advisory Bodies prior to implementation of the revised designs.

Efforts by the State Party towards the completion of conservation plans for the three component parts of the property are ongoing, but it is increasingly urgent that these be submitted to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies, prior to their formal adoption and implementation. The State Party’s report includes maps of the three component parts and their buffer zones, but some refinement may be necessary, as the buffer zone of Norbulingka seems to cut through buildings in a somewhat haphazard manner. The State Party should reconsider this buffer zone so that it conforms more clearly to identifiable landmarks. In particular, as recommended by the 2019 mission, the maps contained in these conservation plans should clarify the buffer zones of the property and the regulations, which will apply to the buffer zones. As requested by the World Heritage Centre in its letter of October 2020, the State Party should submit a proposal for a boundary clarification for the property, including maps of the component sites and their buffer zones, as soon as possible.

Efforts have been made to protect the intangible cultural heritage associated with the living traditions of pilgrims, such as capping tourist numbers during the high season. There is still concern that the living heritage traditions at the property remain at risk, as confirmed by the 2019 mission, and more attention is needed to safeguard these important attributes of the property. In accordance with the ICOMOS’ technical review, the State Party should be encouraged to manage the Jokhang Temple plaza so that pilgrims can bow and visit the shrine in a sacred atmosphere, respectful of the cultural setting and integrity, and traverse from the plaza entrance to the temple while praying without being disturbed by tourists.

In regard to the television tower, the 2019 mission was advised that plans are underway to demolish the existing tower, once a new tower located at the eastern end of the city becomes operational. The mission recommended that an HIA be conducted, in line with the 2011 ICOMOS Guidance, to determine potential impacts of the new television tower on the OUV of the property and avoid any negative impact.