Panchen Lama visits Tibet temple

TIBET, China, Aug. 15 (UPI) -- The boy picked by Chinese authorities as the reincarnation of the Panchen Lama visited Tibet's most sacred temple Sunday, the BBC reported.

Gyaltsen Norbu, who rates second after the Dalai Lama in Tibetan Buddhism, was shown on Chinese state television being eagerly greeted by monks.

Norbu was named 11th Panchen Lama after officials rejected the exiled Dalai Lama's choice for the position.

The 15-year-old performed a number of rituals in Lhasa Sunday.

After placing a ceremonial cloth around a large statue of the founder of Buddhism, Norbu presented monks with red ribbons.

It is his third visit to the Himalayan capital and one of a handful of public appearances.