As Tibetans prepare for the 57th anniversary of the Tibetan Uprising, Chinese authorities have sealed the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) to all foreign visitors.
The annual closure went into operation on Thursday after notices were issued to all major cities and counties saying that foreign visitors must leave the region by the 25 February deadline. It has not been confirmed when the region will reopen but based on previous years it is likely to be at the end of March.