Vice president Xi Jinping visits the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa.

Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping on Wednesday called on people from the religious circle in Tibet to "stay clear from" separatist forces during his visit to the Jokhang Temple, a key Tibetan Buddhism monastery located in the heart of Lhasa.

Speaking to more than 100 monks of the monastery and representatives from the religious circle gathering at Jokhang, Xi said Tibet has been an inalienable part of China since ancient times and people from the religious circle have helped maintain social stability, national integrity and ethnic unity.

"The Party and the government will not forget your positive contributions," Xi said, urging them to carry on the patriotic spirit, stay in line with the Party and the government, and strive for Tibet's development and the improvement of the people's living standards.

Xi made the remarks a day after he addressed a mass rally in Lhasa to mark the 60th anniversary of the peaceful liberation of Tibet and emphasized the fight against separatist activities led by the Dalai Lama group.

The vice president said at Tuesday's rally that the fight against separatist activities of the Dalai Lama group is needed so as to "completely destroy any attempt to undermine stability in Tibet and national unity of the motherland."

Xi called on people from the religious circle to study for a better understanding of Party's religious policies and the country's laws, to achieve academic accomplishment through fine learning, to uphold integrity and self-restraint, and to be socially responsible.

Tibetan Buddhism is the dominant religion in the Tibet Autonomous Region, a plateau region of 3 million inhabitants, at least 90 percent of whom are Tibetans.

The more than 1,300-year-old Jokhang Temple, which houses a life-sized statue of Buddha Sakyamuni as a 12-year-old, is deemed as a top Tibetan Buddhism monastery of all sects.

Xi presented the monks with charities, a silk banner with a message from President Hu Jintao: "In celebration of the 60th anniversary of the peaceful liberation of Tibet," which is embroidered both in Chinese and Tibetan, and collections of the Chinese Tripitaka printed in Tibetan language.

Jokhang's monks blared horns and burned incense as a religious ritual to receive distinguished guests in return.

Lhapa, chief of the Democratic Management Committee of Jokhang Temple, said monks of Jokhang were very happy and used the reception reserved for important living Buddhas to receive Xi.

Lhapa said when the vice president waved to the monks, they were happy just like "reuniting with a family member whom they have long time not seen."

"Xi's words reinforced our determination to practice religion with patriotism," he added.

Lhapa said the monks were pleased to learn from the vice president that the central government's policy to uphold religious freedom will be consistent.

The Jokhang is located near Lhasa's downtown streets hit hardest by the deadly riots on March 14, 2008. The involvement of monks in the violence had promoted the authorities to launch a year-long legal education campaign in Tibet's 505 monasteries to raise the legal awareness of monks and nuns and dissuade them from being duped by separatist forces and ensure the normal practice of Buddhism, local officials said.

The legal education, in which monks were told to abide by laws and regulations in religious practice, rallies and parades, bear fruit, the officials said. The religious life of monks and local residents remains normal.

On Wednesday at the Ramoche Temple, less than 1,000 kilometers from the Jokhang, thick smoke rose from burning incense as devout local residents prostrated themselves in front of the monastery as usual. People formed a stream walking clockwise around the main monastery building, chanting sutras and turning prayer wheels.

The narrow street in front of the Ramoche is abuzz with businesses. Local residents bought their daily groceries while pilgrims rest in tea shops watching vendors hawking cheap goods such as clothes, CDs and tourist souvenirs.

"The vice president is in town -- it's a big thing, but for us business goes as usual," said a street shop owner who gave his name as Losang.

A white paper issued by the State Information Office in July says freedom of religious belief of all ethnic groups in Tibet is respected and protected. People are free to learn and debate Buddhist doctrines, get ordained as monks and practice Buddhist rites.

The white paper says Tibet now has more than 1,700 venues for religious activities, and about 46,000 monks and nuns, while more than one million worshipers make pilgrimage to Lhasa each year. The Living Buddha reincarnation system, unique to Tibetan Buddhism, is fully respected, it says.

The Jokhang holds important Buddhist events, such as the selection for the reincarnation of the Panchen Lama. The 11th Panchen Lama, Bainqen Erdini Qoigyijabu, was selected as the reincarnation of the 10th Panchen Erdini in November 1995 through the traditional method of drawing lots from the golden urn.

The Chinese government has also spent funds repairing and renovating Tibetan monasteries over the past few decades. The latest renovation, estimated to cost 570 million yuan (87.7 million U.S. dollars), covered 22 historic relics in Tibet, including leading monasteries in Lhasa -- Jokhang, Drepung, Sera, Ganden and the seat of the Panchen Lama -- Tashilhunpo Monastery in Xigaze.

On Wednesday, crews were seen renovating the main hall of the sprawling hillside Drepung Monastery located in the outskirts of Lhasa.

The 65-million-yuan preservation project includes repairs of the main hall, the sleeping palace of the Dalai Lamas throughout history, four Buddhism colleges and also its fresco paintings. It is estimated to be completed by the end of the year.

Ngawang Tongjor, a monastery official at Drepung, said monks felt grateful that the state invested tens of millions to preserve the monastery building and to protect the religious practices here.

"Tibet is in its prime of development, and as monks, we should be patriotic, fight separatism, safeguard national integrity and ethnic unity to maintain the social stability for development," he said.