Most Tibetan houses are covered with iron sheet, instead of tiles. Even some walls are also made of iron sheet, but most of them are temporary habitants. Most of all, iron sheet is cheap and affordable in Tibet, and it is easy to get.

In the past, it is difficult to bring building materials into Tibet because of the poor transportation. And tile –making is not realistic as a result of the dry weather and technology insufficiency. So Tibetans could not construct their houses like Han people – the deadline of the project will be delayed endlessly if it were to be built in the common way as Han people. At the same time, the quality will be low. So iron sheet came out as a best solution to these problems.

At that time, iron sheet is the most accessible building material, and it advances the completion deadline, and the house is firm enough to resist the wind. Besides, iron sheet can be recycled, so it could save money.