I work for a Lama Temple in Beijing. In your August issue, your discussion on the preservation of historic sites and objects is much appreciated. It is true that China's protection of cultural relics still faces many problems. Fortunately we are taking diverse measures to help restore and preserve our heritage. In the lamasery I work for, about half of the ticket revenue goes to the renovation and protection projects every year, and we employ modern technologies to do so. For example, a digital version of the temple will soon be available online for people to visit anytime around the clock, for free. Yet I think the key for heritage protection lies in the moral education of both tourists and staff. For instance, it is common for visitors to throw coins at relics, believing that a strike could bring them fortune or have their wishes fulfilled by the gods. Such actions damage the cultural relics on this nearly 300-year-old site, and cheat future generations.

Candy Day

Beijing, China