Troops with riot shields gathering at Kumbum for the Monlam prayer festival, which began on February 10. The images show armed forces lined up outside the monastery, and the newly established security gates with scanning machines. Troops consisted of People’s Armed Police, special forces, and with numerous plainclothes police amidst the crowd. Kumbum monastery is located 25 Kilometers away from Xining (Tib: Siling City) in North-West, in Lusha Township, Rusar County (Chi: Huangzhong xian), Siling City, Qinghai Province.