China has invested 1.6 billion yuan (240 million U. S. dollars) to protect ancient artifacts, cultural heritage and to build museums in Tibet Autonomous Region over the past five years, according to government figures released Thursday.

The Ministry of Finance and the State Administration of Cultural Heritage invested one billion yuan in protecting cultural artifacts and establishing museum exhibits in Tibet from 2011-2015.

Over the same period, the National Development and Reform Commission invested about 600 million yuan in museum construction and protecting cultural heritage.

The figures represent an 180 percent increase on the previous five year period (2006-2010).

Liu Yuzhu, head of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage said that during the past two decades,the central government has invested three billion yuan in protecting Tibetan cultural heritage.

The region has 4,277 key cultural sites including ancient ruins, buildings and tombs. Fifty-five of these sites are on the state's priority protection list.