The former residence of the inventor of Tibetan characters has been found in a village in the Tibet Autonomous Region.

A farmer named Baima Samzhub, in Tunba village, Nyemo County, was surprised to find frescos on the wall in his room when removing white lime coating to redecorate.

The township government placed a protection order on the house after receiving a report about the discovery.

After initial research in the village, 140 km from Lhasa, the regional capital, historians and archaeologists believe the house was the former residence of Tunmi Sangbozha, inventor of Tibetan characters who lived about 1,300 years ago.

The house was once used as a granary and the courtyard it belonged to was once shared by three farming households.

Baima Samzhub said that he never imagined that his home of more than 30 years was also residence of such a great historical figure. A beautiful village with ancient trees and purling streams, Tunba village maintains the traditional Tibetan ways of incense making and engraving, which are believed to have been invented by Tunmi Sangbozha.

The local government has decided to open the village as a tourist destination to let more people know about traditional Tibetan culture.

(Xinhua News Agency October 20, 2003)