This photo taken on Sept. 25, 2025 shows a view of the Potala Palace in Lhasa, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region. [Photo/Xinhua]

The Potala Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, will implement a Monday closure policy effective Dec. 1, according to an announcement released on its official website on Monday.

This measure, aiming to strengthen the protection of its cultural relics and ancient architecture, enhance infrastructure maintenance and improve services and tourist experience, aligns with common practices in the museum industry, said its administration office.

The closure will apply every Monday, except on national statutory holidays.

During closure days, the management office will conduct routine activities such as inspections and repairs of cultural relics, updates to exhibitions, maintenance of public facilities and environmental sanitization.

Built in the 7th century, the Potala Palace, a typical Tibetan traditional earth-stone-wood structure with more than 1,200 rooms, was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1994.

Notably, it attracted over 2 million domestic and international tourists in 2024.