A Tibetan community in northwest China's Gansu Province has received 2 million yuan (US$294,000) of central government appropriation for repair work on a monastery that was damaged by the deadly earthquake of 2008, the local government said Tuesday.

The fund would be used to fix and reinforce the Langmu Temple in Luqu County of the Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Gannan, a county government spokesman said.

He said about 2,305 square meters of temple facilities were damaged by the 8.0-magnitude earthquake of May 2008.

The quake caused heavy casualties in the southwestern Sichuan Province and also jolted the neighboring Gansu Province.

The spokesman said the temple would remain open to pilgrims and other visitors during the repair work. He did not say, however, when repair work would begin or how long it would last.

Langmu Temple, built in 1748, is named after Langmusi Town which, divided into two parts by the Bailongjiang River, sits on the border of Sichuan and Gansu provinces.

The place is known for its Tibetan Buddhist culture and beautiful landscape.

(Xinhua News Agency April 13, 2010)