To sustain it and help it prosper, "a chain comprising education, inheritance, industry and poverty alleviation has been set up, and this model has brought new opportunities in terms of poverty alleviation and cultural preservation", said Sonam Lhamo.

"To help traditional forms of culture thrive such as thangka, tapestry and Tibetan incense, the local government offers vocational training to impoverished residents and unemployed people," she said.

To date, more than 200 people have been trained in the county, and they are engaged in thangka painting as far afield as Beijing, Sichuan province, and Lhasa, the capital of Tibet.

The county government has also set up a culture industry zone, involving investment of more than 10 million yuan.

Contact the writers at palden_nyima@chinadaily.com.cn