Tibet

Tibet: Foreign Tourists Welcome, but Not Everything Is Open

Date: July 10th, 2008 |

Chinese authorities reopened Tibet to foreign tourists June 25, but key monasteries remain closed and it may be some time before everything returns to normal for foreign visitors. The main sites in Lhasa such as the Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple and Norbulinka are open, but important monasteries such as Drepung and Sera remain closed. In [read more]

China and Tibet: Lockdown in Lhasa; Interpol Worries about Attacks in Beijing

Date: May 1st, 2008 |

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The Chinese government announced a lockdown on the Tibetan capital of Lhasa from May 1 to June 20 to prevent any disruption of the Olympic torch parade through Tibet. Residents of surrounding counties have been ordered not to enter the city, including farmers who would normally come to Lhasa to sell their produce, and all [read more]

China/Tibet: Tensions Remain High in Lhasa

Date: April 2nd, 2008 |

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Facing international censure over its repression of dissent in Tibet and in heavily Tibetan areas of Gansu province, the Chinese government is doing its best to blame the recent protests on the Dalai Lama while showing that the situation is calm in Lhasa. It allowed foreign diplomats in for a tightly-controlled two-day visit but did [read more]

Tibet: Funding Planned to Upgrade Lhasa Toilets

Date: December 19th, 2007 |

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Tourism to Tibet has increased dramatically since the opening of the rail link to Lhasa in 2006, with more than a million visitors this year to the Potala Palace, the former residence of the Dalai Lama, and some 4 million tourists overall. With that influx comes pressure on facilities of all sorts, so Chinese tourism [read more]

Tibet

Date: March 8th, 2005 |

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The Chinese government announced plans to develop tourism in Tibet over the next 15 years with hopes of drawing as many as 10 million annual visitors by 2020. Currently Tibet attracts about one million tourists a year, most of them from China. The plan involves developing infrastructure, promoting urbanization and strengthening the economy to improve [read more]

Tibet: Tibet Reopens to Foreign Tourists

Date: June 25th, 2008 |

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Now that the Olympic torch has passed through Lhasa, Chinese authorities have reopened Tibet to foreign tourists, saying the torch’s successful journey has shown that Tibet is stable enough for foreign visitors. Officials closed Tibet to all tourists after anti-Chinese riots broke out in Lhasa March 14, but allowed domestic tourists back in on April [read more]

Tibet: China Will Reopen Tibet to Foreign Tourists May 1

Date: April 10th, 2008 |

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Chinese officials announced April 4 that Tibet will be reopened to foreign tourists May 1 after a six-week closure because of protests that led to a police crackdown in which between 18 and 14o people died. The government said 18 had been killed in Lhasa but the Dalai Lama’s government in exile said 140 had [read more]

Tibet: Tight Security in Lhasa

Date: March 20th, 2008 |

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Rioting occurred in Lhasa after several days of peaceful marches to mark the 49th anniversary of the failed uprising against Chinese rule and the Dalai Lama’s exile. Chinese security forces put down the protests in which at least 13 people were killed (an estimate by the Dalai Lama’s officials said 99 people died) and more [read more]

Tibet: New Railway to Lhasa Set to Open

Date: May 16th, 2006 |

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A railway that promises to bring an additional 800,000 visitors to Lhasa annually will begin trial operations July 1. The stretch between Golmud and Lhasa was the final link in the rail network to connect the holy Tibetan capital with China’s main cities, and will soon be functional. The first five trains have been scheduled [read more]

Tibet

Date: June 29th, 2004 |

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A famous Chinese open-water swimmer has raised the ire of Tibetans throughout China with his plans to swim across Namtso lake, the highest saltwater lake in the world at 15,475 feet, but a body of water held sacred by Tibetans. Young, urban Tibetans from around the country have signed a letter to Chinese authorities asking [read more]