On 14 April 2010 an earthquake struck the Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture (Qinghai Province, China), killing hundreds of people and leaving many more injured. It caused much infrastructural damage - houses build from mud or wood collapsed and the very few roads leading to the remote region were damaged, cutting off connections with the outside world at a time when help is most needed.

The KarstogLhakhang temple, dating to the eighteenth century, was severely affected greatly compromising its structural stability and leaving the fragile and ancient wall paintings vulnerable to the ingress of rainwater through gaping holes in the roof. It is therefore absolutely crucial that the roof be repaired before the arrival of the rainy season in August. a building important for the cultural Tibetan heritage of the prefecture. Due to the fragility of the earthen building material, the temple is prone to dissolve in the rain.

As unique example of a Tibetan temple to have survived the Cultural Revolution in the area, KartsogLhakang is an important representation for the Tibetan minority of their pride, resilience and identity and serves as a spiritual anchor for the community. The temple holds an invaluable record of Buddhist history and tradition, among which four painted Buddhist compositions that have become extremely fragile since the earthquake.

The community itself approached the Tibetan Heritage Fund to seek assistance for its restoration, indicating the significance of the temple for the local population. The Prince Claus Fund is supporting the Tibet Heritage Fund in restoring the outer rammed earth walls and adding a wooden ring anchor, filling cracks in the walls, strengthening the foundation, removing of damaged roof timbers, the restoration of the roof, and emergency stabilisation of the cracked paintings. Support to this project is important for giving an impetus to the rehabilitation of heritage in an area where little support from the authorities is forthcoming.