The Monument to the Peaceful Liberation of Tibet stands in the southern part of the Potala square in Lhasa, just outside the protective zone and buffer zone of the World Heritage site. It celebrates what the People's Republic of China calls the Peaceful Liberation of Tibet by the People's Liberation Army. The foundation stone was laid on July 18, 2001 by Hu Jintao, China's vice-president at the time. The monument was unveiled on May 22, 2002.