Every year on 10 March, Tibetans across the world mark Tibetan Uprising Day, remembering the events of 1959 in Lhasa, when thousands of Tibetans surrounded the Norbulingka palace after rumors spread that Chinese authorities planned to detain the 14th Dalai Lama at the local People’s Liberation Army (PLA) headquarters. What began as an act of protection quickly became a broader uprising against Chinese rule. Within days, the rebellion was crushed by the PLA, the Dalai Lama fled into exile in India, and tens of thousands of Tibetans followed. More than six decades later, the memory of that uprising remains the emotional and political center of the Tibetan struggle.

Remember Lhasa: The Uprising That Changed Tibet

The events of March 1959 reshaped Tibet’s modern history. Crowds gathered in Lhasa not simply out of fear for the Dalai Lama’s safety, but out of mounting resentment over Beijing’s tightening control over Tibetan political, religious, and social life. Demonstrations grew into a wider revolt across the city and surrounding areas. Chinese forces responded with artillery and mass........

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