Ancient Tibetan scripture found in Lhasa

Lhasa: Cultural specialists in China`s Tibet region have found over 100 pages of Tibetan scripture dating back to the 13th century, according to authorities.

According to Tashi Gyatso, an official with Lhasa`s cultural bureau, the document, whose content covers traditional Tibetan medicine and religion, was found last week at a monastery in Nyemo county on the outskirts of Lhasa. Gyatso said the local cultural authorities are preparing to include the rare document on China`s national list of endangered cultural heritage for special preservation, Xinhua reported. "The pages were loose and the document was incomplete," he said, adding that the text, written in black ink and on quality Tibetan paper made of bark fiber, was however still legible. Though the text was written in Tibetan, most of the pages were numbered with Chinese characters, the official said. "The document was compiled during the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), almost 800 years ago," said Pempa Tsering, a Lhasa-based specialist on ancient Tibetan literature. The finding was among a total of 853 cultural heritage pieces uncovered in Lhasa over the past year, he said. The cultural bureau is making a list of the city`s cultural heritage items in order to better preserve these valuables. IANS