With the Chinese occupation of Tibet, the Portala became largely a museum, used to attract tourists and the dollars they bring. By the time of our visit, a limited amount of religious activity had been allowed to resume. Pilgrims visit the many temples, making offerings of yak butter. Pervasive, however, are the Chinese security cameras, installed it would appear as much to intimidate as to detect behavior of which they disapprove. The status of Tibet as an occupied country is clear.
Chinese soldiers are everywhere.
The Chinese control all aspects of the economy. It is, for example, quite hard to get a Tibetan meal anywhere in Tibet. East-west haggling is a form of entertainment in much of the third world, and we quickly attracted a crowd. It took the Chinese police all of a minute or two to notice the gathering and for five of them to break it up. On our second day in Lhasa, three of us went for a hike in the surrounding hills.