Fifteen archaeologists left Lhasa recently for Ngari Prefecture on a cultural relics rescue mission. They were preceded by a construction team preparing for the renovation of temples.

Their main tasks are to carry out an archaeological investigation and excavation of some architectural structures and murals of the Toding Monastery, Piyang Ruins, Donggar Grottos and Guge Ruins. Some 1 million yuan will be spent on the projects this year, according to Gyaiyang, director of the Administration of Cultural Relics of the Tibetan Autonomous Region.

Ngari is called "roof" of the "Roof of the World"--the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Its special geographical location, as well as some historical factors, have created a store of many precious cultural relics left behind in the area.

Over the past years, several joint inspection teams have been sent by the State Bureau of Cultural Relics and the Tibetan local department for cultural investigation and archaeological excavation. They have collected abundant first-hand materials and put forward many good suggestions on the protection and maintenance of ancient buildings and practical methods for excavation.

More archaeologists will arrive in the second half of this year. The rescue work could last three to five years.

(This article appears on page 30, No. 22, 1998)