The Potala Palace Fire and Rescue Brigade patrols the 1,300‑year‑old landmark in Lhasa daily, combining modern firefighting technology with round‑the‑clock vigilance to guard the UNESCO World Heritage site against fire risks that threaten its cultural legacy.
The palace rises above Lhasa, capital of Tibet Autonomous Region in southwest China, and is considered the world's highest‑altitude and best‑preserved palace complex.
Norbu Tsering has led the Potala Palace Fire and Rescue Brigade for nine years. He said the palace, built mainly of wood, earth, and stone, is highly vulnerable to fire. Its interconnected design means a blaze could spread quickly from one building to another, while flammable relics such as thangkas and tapestries add to the risk.
Working with the management office, the brigade combines technology with on‑the‑ground patrols, running 24‑hour shifts and carrying out daily checks before opening and after closing to eliminate hazards from ignition sources to electrical systems.
Fu Mei Tianci, a firefighter, said the team has introduced smart monitors, alarms, sensors, fiber‑optic cables, and emergency call systems that now cover every corner of the palace.
Despite these advances, the brigade has remained on duty without a break since 1984, taking on more rescue and service duties as tourist numbers grow. Its efforts ensure that the morning bells and evening drums of the Potala Palace still echo across the land, while preserving the sacred dignity of this ancient monument.
The Potala Palace stands as a historical testament to China's governance of its frontier regions and a lasting witness to exchanges, interactions, and integration among the Chinese nation's diverse ethnic groups. Across its long history, politics, religion, culture, and art have intertwined to create countless remarkable stories.
Potala Palace fire brigade patrols ancient landmark in Lhasa
New Zealand's ruling National-led coalition has secured a parliamentary majority in the general election, preliminary results showed early Sunday, putting Prime Minister Christopher Luxon on course to retain power for a second term.
The Election Commission's tally of all voting places has resulted in 11 "overhang" seats, increasing to 131 the total number of seats in parliament, which normally has 120.
Among the seats, the National Party, ACT New Zealand and New Zealand First collectively secured 67, giving the three-party coalition a narrow majority to continue governing, while the opposition bloc of the Labor Party, the Green Party and the Maori Party garnered 57 in total.
The contest between the National and the Labor, led by former prime minister Chris Hipkins, remained exceptionally close, with each securing over 29 percent, according to preliminary figures.
Addressing supporters in Auckland, Luxon said the election was "too close to call," with the final outcome hinging on special votes to be counted. He acknowledged that negotiations and compromise would be needed to form the next government.
The outcome could still change when 700,000 special votes are counted days later. These include ballots cast by overseas voters and people voting outside their electorates, and are not included in the preliminary results, according to the Electoral Commission, which is scheduled to release the final official results, including special votes, on Nov. 27.
The Green Party has won a record 16 seats in parliament. The centrist Opportunity Party has also made a parliamentary breakthrough, projected to win seven seats, preliminary results showed.
The country has nearly 3.8 million provisionally enrolled voters for the 2026 general election, representing 93.6 percent of the estimated eligible population, below the final enrolment rates of 94.7 percent in 2023 and 94.1 percent in 2020, the commission said.
New Zealand uses the mixed-member proportional voting system to elect its parliament. Under this system, voters cast two ballots, one for a political party and another for their local electorate candidate. The government is usually formed by two or more parliamentary political parties.
New Zealand's National-led coalition wins majority parliamentary seats: preliminary results
