China has announced that the “iconic Potala Palace,” which has been off-limits to tourists for more than four months, will reopen in Lhasa, the capital city of Tibet.
Beijing launched a winter tourist promotion in forcibly occupied Tibet despite a dramatic rise in COVID-19 infections throughout China, according to Tibet Rights Collective. The “iconic Potala Palace,” which has been closed to visitors for more than four months, will reopen, according to China, in Tibet’s capital city of Lhasa. Other significant Lhasa-area religious tourism destinations have also reopened. (See also: China scrambles to stop COVID outbreaks in tourism hotspots Tibet, Hainan.)
This raises questions considering that the COVID-19 danger hasn’t yet diminished and that a fresh round of a winter tour campaign to bring more tourists to the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) during the winter season was just launched on January 1.
The official Chinadaily.com.cn Jan 2 cited a statement released Jan 1 by the palace management that stated guests will be allowed free of charge until March 15 to the Potala Palace, the Dalai Lamas’ ancient winter retreat and the seat of their government. According to the source, the palace, which is referred to as “a paragon of historic architecture and home to over 100,000 cultural items,” would be available every day from 9:30 am to 2:00 pm.
