All was quiet in Tiananmen Square but other parts of the country were restless. Tibet was closed and off-limits after several protests. The Chinese remain baffled, apparently, at the ingratitude of Tibetans and the West's perspective. Tibet was actually a Chinese colony as far back as 1751. Before the 1950 Chinese 're-occupation', Tibet was an impoverished nation ruled by a contemptuous elite who virtually enslaved the population in a system of feudal serfdom. Roads, schools, health care, railways, factories and a tourist industry have all been developed by Beijing. Still, few will forgive China's destruction of Tibetan culture and heritage.
