The 11th Panchen Lama, a spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhist believers, arrived in Lhasa Tuesday to a warm welcome from local lamas and Buddhist believers.
Leading officials from the Tibet Autonomous Region also held a ceremony in honor of the 11th Panchen Lama, who is in the city for a Buddhist service.
This is the 13-year-old lama's second trip to Lhasa, capital of Tibet, following his first trip in 1995.
He emerged from his car in front of his palace at around noon to be surrounded by cheering believers.
The 11th Panchen ascended the throne in 1995 at the Zhaxi Lhunbo Lamasery after he was selected as the reincarnated Panchen Lama in accordance with the religious custom. The last Panchen Lama died in 1989.
A high-ranking monk of the Zhaxi Lhunbo Lamasery said the 11th Panchen studies hard and is progressing rapidly with his understanding of sutras.
( June 12, 2002)
