From The Times:
Much of Lhasa’s old-world charm and ways of life unchanged for centuries have disappeared. Average annual incomes have nearly quadrupled to ¬£570 since 1986. Chinese tourists were virtually unknown in Tibet 20 years ago. In 1987 it had 47,000 visitors; this year the figure is expected to approach 3million. Most will be Chinese, drawn by a romantic vision of a mystical Buddhist culture. With the opening this month of a railway to Lhasa, the total is set to multiply again.
The Potala Palace, which was home to Dalai Lamas for centuries, no longer towers over a warren of ancient streets. In their place is a huge modern plaza where People’s Liberation Army soldiers guard a monument lauding the Chinese rule that began when Chairman Mao’s armies arrived in 1950. [Full text]
