Tibetans conserve their culture, traditions in hopes of seeing a ‘Free Tibet’

The Dalai Lama says he has decades yet to live, but Tibetans who have followed him abroad are bracing for an inevitable future without the 88-year-old Buddhist leader. Many fear Beijing will name a rival successor to cement its grip on a land it sent troops into in the 1950s, insisting Tibet is an integral part of China. Meanwhile, the exiled Tibetans in other countries guard the cultural identity of a homeland most have neither seen nor dared visit, and where they say Beijing is eradicating their heritage. On March 10, 2024, Tibetans marked the 65th anniversary of the 1959 uprising against Chinese forces that led to their spiritual leader the Dalai Lama fleeing into exile, followed by tens of thousands of compatriots. We look at the hope that they hold against a bleak future and their attempts to save what is left of their rich heritage and culture.