Los Angeles Times

A fire may have damaged precious relics at Tibet's holiest temple. China says no — but experts aren't sure

BEIJING - A fire broke out at Tibet's most sacred temple on Saturday, and the public knows no more.

The blaze may have severely damaged the 1,300 year-old temple and many of its precious architectural features, murals and relics; or perhaps it was small and quickly extinguished, and the temple is more or less fine.

On Saturday evening, Tibetan social media users posted photos and videos of the ancient Jokhang Temple complex in the region's capital Lhasa, a UNESCO world heritage site, with one of its golden roofs engulfed in flames. Hours later, Chinese state media said that the fire had been extinguished and that cultural

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