LHASA, Tibet -- The capital of Tibet has always been hard to reach, protected by geography and isolation. Access became even more difficult in 1913, when Thubten Gyatso, the 13th Dalai Lama, banned foreigners following British meddling and Chinese incursions, and only worsened following the annexation of Tibet by China in 1951.
Public security measures were heightened following the invasion, and it remained difficult for outsiders to enter Lhasa without special permission, perpetuating its image as a forbidden city.
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