The lives of Buddhist monks in Tibet have changed considerably in recent years. Now, monks high in the region's monasteries are acting as tour guides for curious foreigners visiting their holy sites.

As day breaks across Tibet, the Buddhist pilgrims commence their daily rituals.

Since Tibet was opened to the world, large numbers of tourists have flocked to the region. And many Tibetans have found work catering to foreign visitors.

This is true for the monks at the world famous Jokhang Temple.

As well as studying Buddhist scriptures, monks now look after visitors. They spend 5 hours a day guiding tourists around the temple's ancient buildings, and preserving antiques of important cultural value.

Ah Wang Qu Zha,head monk of Jokhang Temple,said, "Jokhang Monastery is not simply a religious place, it is also a department to protect antiques and cultural relics. As Buddhists, we can't just stay in studying Buddhism, we should also do more to better protect the cultural relics left by our ancestors."

The 1,300-year-old Jokhang Monastery has been included on the World Cultural Relics Protection Foundation's list since the 1990s.

The non-profit organization aims to protect the world's cultural relics.