China is spending 46 million yuan (US$6.8 million) on the preservation of the Sera Monastery in Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region.

Built in 1419 in northern Lhasa, the monastery needs repairs, said Losang Jigme, Tibet's top official in charge of religious affairs.

The preservation work will keep the monastery's original style, he said at a ceremony marking the start of the repairs Saturday.

The repairing project is expected to be completed by the end of next year.

"The preservation of the Sera Monastery, a cultural and spiritual treasure from our forefathers, will protect and promote cultural and religious heritage," Padma Choling, chairman of the regional government, said at the ceremony.

The Chinese government has spent more than 1.3 billion yuan since the 1980s on the preservation of more than 1,400 monasteries in Tibet, including three major monasteries -- the Potala Palace, Norbu Lingka Palace and Sagya Monastery.

(Xinhua News Agency September 13, 2010)