The 75th anniversary of what Beijing calls Tibet’s "peaceful liberation" is being observed amid criticism that the 1951 action curtailed Tibetan rights and culture. The Associated Press joined a government-organized, escorted visit to Lhasa and surrounding sites; reporters were taken to preselected palaces, temples, an eldercare center and local businesses while retaining editorial control. The guided trip offered a framed look at daily life, religious practice and a growing Han presence at notable sites such as the Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Yamdrok Lake (4,441 m) and Yumbulagang Palace.
Rare Photos Reveal Life In Tibet 75 Years After Beijing’s 'Peaceful Liberation'
The Potala Palace is reflected off a polished tile on a square in Lhasa in western China's Tibet Autonomous Region on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, as seen during a government organized visit for foreign journalists. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)(AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
This year marks the 75th anniversary of the event Beijing calls the "peaceful liberation" of Tibet in 1951 — a milestone viewed by critics as an invasion that has greatly constrained Tibetan cultural and political rights.
Restricted Access, Guided Visit
Foreign visitors still face strict limits on travel to Tibet, a remote, high-altitude region known for its Buddhist traditions and dramatic mountain landscapes. Last week, the Associated Press joined a government-organized media trip through the autonomous region. Authorities selected the itinerary in advance and officials accompanied journalists throughout the visit. The AP retained full editorial control of its reporting.
What the Visit Showed
The guided tour took journalists to palaces, temples, tourist sites, an eldercare center and local businesses, offering framed views of everyday life in Lhasa and beyond. The visit highlighted both traditional Tibetan religious life — with worshippers at the Potala Palace and Jokhang Temple — and signs of demographic and economic change, including a growing Han Chinese population in the region.
Visitors also traveled to Yamdrok Lake, a sacred body of water at 4,441 meters (14,570 feet) above sea level, and to Yumbulagang Palace, long regarded as Tibet's earliest palace and later converted into a monastery where pilgrims make offerings. Photographs from the trip capture worshippers, tourist crowds, cultural sites and scenes of local commerce and caregiving.
Context and Significance
The trip and accompanying images provide a window into life in Tibet under close government oversight and at a moment of historical reflection. They document places of faith and memory while underscoring ongoing tensions over autonomy, cultural preservation and access to the region.
This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.
A tourist walks inside prayer flags near Yamdrok Lake in western China's Tibet Autonomous Region on Thursday, July 23, 2026, as seen during a government organized visit for foreign journalists. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)(AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
A Chinese paramilitary policeman stands on guard on a square in front of the Potala Palace in Lhasa in western China's Tibet Autonomous Region on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, as seen during a government organized visit for foreign journalists. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)(AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
A visitor prays near inside the monastery of the Yumbulagang Palace, regarded as Tibet's first palace, in Shannan in western China's Tibet Autonomous Region on Thursday, July 23, 2026, as seen during a government organized visit for foreign journalists. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)(AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
A child climbs onto a woman as she performs prostrations inside the monastery of the Yumbulagang Palace, regarded as Tibet's first palace, in Shannan in western China's Tibet Autonomous Region on Thursday, July 23, 2026, as seen during a government organized visit for foreign journalists. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)(AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
A child pets a cat during a visit to the Potala Palace in Lhasa in western China's Tibet Autonomous Region on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, as seen during a government organized visit for foreign journalists. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)(AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
Visitors pose for photos from a viewing platform overlooking Yamdrok Lake in western China's Tibet Autonomous Region on Thursday, July 23, 2026, as seen during a government organized visit for foreign journalists. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)(AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
A billboard with the words "Warmly celebrating the 75th anniversary of the peaceful liberation of Tibet" is seen on a highway near Shannan in western China's Tibet Autonomous Region on Thursday, July 23, 2026, as seen during a government organized visit for foreign journalists. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)(AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
Tourists looks at their phones at a cafe in Pangdatsang Compound in Lhasa in western China's Tibet Autonomous Region on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, as seen during a government organized visit for foreign journalists. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)(AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
A child stands near a pilgrim performing full body prostrations along Barkhor Street in Lhasa in western China's Tibet Autonomous Region on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, as seen during a government organized visit for foreign journalists. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)(AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
A pilgrim performs full body prostrations along Barkhor Street in Lhasa in western China's Tibet Autonomous Region on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, as seen during a government organized visit for foreign journalists. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)(AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
A stand selling trinkets near Yamdrok Lake in western China's Tibet Autonomous Region on Thursday, July 23, 2026, as seen during a government organized visit for foreign journalists. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)(AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
Visitors tour Jokhang Temple in Lhasa in western China's Tibet Autonomous Region on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, as seen during a government organized visit for foreign journalists. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)(AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
Visitors stand near flocks of birds on Yamdrok Lake in western China's Tibet Autonomous Region on Thursday, July 23, 2026, as seen during a government organized visit for foreign journalists. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)(AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
An elderly man looks out from Yumbulagang Palace, regarded as Tibet's first palace, in Shannan in western China's Tibet Autonomous Region on Thursday, July 23, 2026, as seen during a government organized visit for foreign journalists. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)(AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
A lightning strike flash across the sky near the Potala Palace in Lhasa in western China's Tibet Autonomous Region on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, as seen during a government organized visit for foreign journalists. Starry effect is due to shooting through the net of a window. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)(AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
A child reacts to a man holding a photo of a Tibetan monk during a visit to the Potala Palace in Lhasa in western China's Tibet Autonomous Region on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, as seen during a government organized visit for foreign journalists. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)(AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
A tourist poses for a photo at Jokhang Temple in Lhasa in western China's Tibet Autonomous Region on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, as seen during a government organized visit for foreign journalists. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)(AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
A man performs push-ups near a large mural depicting Chinese President Xi Jinping, bottom center, and other Chinese leaders at a public square at the base of the Potala Palace in Lhasa in western China's Tibet Autonomous Region on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, as seen during a government organized visit for foreign journalists. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)(AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
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