SINCE the 1980s, the central government of China has invested huge sums in maintenance of ancient monasteries and construction of new ones. Tibetan temples are instantly identifiable by their gold roofs, red or black enclosure walls, colorful frescos and painted beams and pillars. There are 1,700 temples and palaces in Tibet, most of them hundreds of years old, and SINCE the 1980s, the central government of China has invested huge sums in maintenance of ancient monasteries and construction of new ones. Tibetan temples are instantly identifiable by their gold roofs, red or black enclosure walls, colorful frescos and painted beams and pillars. There are 1,700 temples and palaces in Tibet, most of them hundreds of years old, and