Chinese leader visits Tibet amid rising controls over religion

A man and a child pose in front of a pro-Chinese mural at a public square at the base of the Potala Palace in Lhasa in Tibet (AP)

Chinese leader Xi Jinping has made a rare visit to Tibet as authorities tighten controls over the Himalayan region’s traditional Buddhist culture.

State media reported that Mr Xi visited sites in the capital Lhasa, including the Drepung Monastery, Barkhor Street and the public square at the base of the Potala Palace that was home to the Dalai Lamas, Tibet’s traditional spiritual and temporal leaders.