Duplicates of ancient Tibetan thangka on show for first time in Shanghai

Today, the art form, which was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2006, have developed well in the Tibet autonomous region, Qinghai, Sichuan, Yunnan and Gansu provinces.

Among the exhibits is a collection of 17 duplicates of treasured ancient thangkas called "Biography of Phagpa", a Tibetan Buddhist leader who became the imperial preceptor.

This is the first time the collection has been showcased to the public. The works were duplicated using high-resolution printing technology, according to Zhang Junyan, a curator of the exhibition.