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BEIJING - Tibet will reopen to tourists "soon", state media said on Saturday, after being closed off in the aftermath of pro-independence protests that have triggered international concern.
"The Tibet tourism bureau is doing its utmost to prepare for the reopening of all scenic spots," the regional government said in a statement sent to the state-run China Daily newspaper, without giving a specific date.
Tourists and foreign reporters have been prevented from going to Tibet since riots erupted in the capital Lhasa on March 14, after four days of peaceful protests against 57 years of Chinese rule over the region.
The Chinese government says the measure is for safety reasons.
Authorities announced at the beginning of the month that Tibet would be reopened to foreign and domestic tourists on May 1, a national holiday in China.
But a tourism official told AFP on Thursday that China had abandoned plans to reopen the Himalayan region on that date.
The China Daily report, however, citing the Tibet regional government, rejected suggestions it had abandoned the May 1 plan, amid reports of simmering tension in the region.
The government said the region would "open soon", according to the report.
The US-based International Campaign for Tibet first reported the postponement last week, saying Tibet might not be reopened until after the August 8-24 Beijing Olympics.
China's official Xinhua news agency on Saturday reported that Lhasa's temples would soon resume religious activities, although no specific date was mentioned.
Drepung Monastery, one of the monasteries to be hit by recent unrest, will soon hold events including Buddhist services and debates on Buddhist doctrine five times a month, the temple's director told Xinhua.
The temples will reopen to tourists "in the near future," he told the news agency. - AFP/ir
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