Preserving piety

Government support has ensured the protection and prosperity of the Tibet autonomous region's Buddhist monasteries.

Every sunrise, life inside Drepung Monastery begins as it has for centuries - monks awaken, chant sutras, eat a light breakfast and begin their studies.

An asphalt road connects the monastery at a mountain's foot with a western suburb of Lhasa. A world of golden sculptures and colorful murals is hidden behind its whitewashed walls.