In Tibet, innovative thangka designs emerge

In 2019, Shigatse launched a painting project of 100 new themed thangka painting. The first group of 50 paintings were completed by 37 local artists in two years.

The themes of the paintings include the 60th anniversary of the peaceful liberation of the Tibet autonomous region, the region's development history and a nod to some of its scenic spots. It will comprehensively showcase the long history, splendid culture and beautiful scenery of Shigatse, to showcase the profound historical and cultural achievements of the city and reflect the city's achievements, which were made during social construction.

Phurbu Tsering, an offical from the city's cultural bureau, said that to protect and inherit thangka culture and have a prosperous thangka industry, the bureau carried out training for the development of the thangka industry and the inheritance of thangka art in the city, with 185 inheritors of the cultural industry and thangka industry participating.

According to the bureau, the city now has 556 thangka artists, with the annual output value of thangka, reaching nearly 20 million yuan ($2.72million). The city has two projects, all of the included in the representative list at the national and regional levels of thangka intangible cultural heritage. It has five representative inheritors of thangka.