Policies aim to preserve region's religious culture

People who have been to Tibet may notice the well-preserved religious and traditional culture, which has much to do with the central government's efforts to protect traditional culture and people's freedom of religious belief, according to a researcher of Tibetan studies.

"The central government has lifted the protection of Tibetan culture to the status of a national strategy by listing the region as one of the national reserves where traditional culture is protected," Zhaluo, director of the Institute of Social and Economic Studies at China Tibetology Research Center, told reporters in Beijing on Wednesday at an informational session about Tibet's democratic reforms.

"Lots of policies have been carried out over recent decades to ensure that the culture of the region is passed down through generations, as well as to guarantee people's freedom of religious belief," he said, adding that the region now has more than 1,700 temples and 46,000 monks and nuns engaged in religious activities.