The Potala Palace In Lhasa

LHASA, CHINA - AUGUST 03: The Chinese national flag flies in front of the Potala Palcae on August 3, 2005 in Lhasa of Tibet, China. The palace was the former abode of the 14th Dalai Lama, Tibet's spiritual leader, in exile in India. The palace first built in the 7th century to commemorate the unification of Tibet has become a symbol of the gap between the rigion and the Chinese government that has ruled it since 1950. China has undertaken extensive renovation since 2002 of Lhasa's landmark, but critics say the repair work is being done for political reasons with scant concern for Tibetan sensitivities. (Photo by Guang Niu/Getty Images)