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The 88-year-old waved from the open window of a limousine as it
approached his Manhattan hotel. He walked slowly to the
entrance, supported by aides.
The Dalai Lama fled to India in 1959 after a failed uprising
against Chinese rule in Tibet. The Nobel peace laureate has
battled health problems for years.
Some supporters arrived hours ahead of time to make sure they
could catch a sight of a man making his first trip to the United
States since 2017.
"I knew I had to come here for this once in a lifetime
opportunity. And I think waiting outside for the past four or
five hours is definitely worth it," said Tenzin Kunkyi.
"There is a strong sense of community when you're here,
everyone's passing around bread ... along with getting a
blessing from seeing His Holiness, we also strengthen our
Tibetan bond here outside," she added.
It is unclear whether the Dalai Lama, who Beijing sees as a
dangerous separatist, will meet any U.S. officials during his
trip. He says he is not seeking independence for Tibet.
Supporters, many dressed in colorful robes, danced in the
streets outside the hotel.
"We wish Dalai Lama long life. And we really wish Dalai Lama
(would) visit China to say to the Tibetan community 'Hi,
hello'," said Byamba Suren, who left Virginia at 3 a.m. to drive
to New York.
A group of U.S. lawmakers met the Dalai Lama in India last week
and said they would not allow China to influence the choice of
his successor. They want to push Beijing to restart talks with
Tibetan leaders, stalled since 2010.
(Reporting by Hussein Waaile, writing by David Ljunggren)
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