XINING — Northwest China’s Qinghai province has invested 372 million yuan ($54 million) to renovate dilapidated monasteries since 2015, local authorities said on Dec 14.

The provincial united front work department said that over the past four years Qinghai has invested heavily to improve Tibetan Buddhism monasteries in poor condition, providing safe residence for nearly 30,000 monks and nuns.

The province has also launched a series of popular energy-saving projects in monasteries.

So far, more than 2 million yuan has been used to install 190 solar street lamps and 15 shower rooms with solar water heaters in five remote monasteries.

Sonam Palden, a monk of Sharude Monastery in Tsekhok county, in the Tibetan autonomous prefecture of Huangnan, witnessed the renovation of his monastery. “Our monastery has become beautiful and warm after the overhaul. We have solar lamps and a new library and dormitory.”

Sharude Monastery was included in a renovation project in agricultural and pastoral areas in 2015. “More than 100 monks’ living conditions have been improved, and the wire and pipes of the monastery will also be renovated next year, to ensure power and water supply in the monastery,” said Shaghu Tashi, a county official.

“Monasteries are not only religious sites, but also grassroots social units. Religious personnel should also share the fruit of the country’s development,” said Walshul, deputy director of the provincial united front work department.