It was formally established in 1965 to replace the Tibet Area, an administrative division the People's Republic of China (PRC) took over from the Republic of China (ROC), about five years after the dismissal of the Kashag by the PRC following the 1959 Tibetan uprising, and about 13 years after Tibet's incorporation into the PRC in 1951.
Foi estabelecida formalmente no ano 1965 para substituír a Área do Tíbet, unha división administrativa que a República Popular herdou da República da China, uns 5 anos despois da dimisión do Kashag coa revolta do Tíbet de 1959, e 13 anos despois da incoporación do Tíbet en 1951.