Published by World Tibet Network News - Saturday, 2 December 1995

Source: Xinhua news agency, Beijing, in English 1432 gmt 29 Nov 95

[18] Text of report by Xinhua news agency

Lhasa, 29th November: Gyaincain Norbu, a six-year-old boy from Lhari County in Nagqu Prefecture in Tibet, was chosen today as the reincarnated 10th Panchen Erdeni.

A ceremony confirming the boy as the 11th Panchen Lama by drawing lots from a golden urn was held here today in front of a statue of Sakyamuni in the Jokhang Monastery, in strict accordance with Tibetan Buddhist rituals.

Gyaincain Norbu was born in Lhari County in northern Tibet on 13th February 1990.

When a search group paid a secret visit to the boy previously, they found the boy to be very lucky by nature and intelligent. He has a serious demeanour but has a mild manner, has a fine appearance and is very healthy.

The search group thought that, considering all the conditions for reincarnation, the boy was the one with the luckiest signs and listed him as one of the candidates for the reincarnated lama.

Today's drawing of lots in front of the statue of Sakyamuni proved that this soul boy is the true 10th Panchen Erdeni.

After the lot-drawing ceremony, Bomi Qambalozhub, head of the Tibetan branch of the Chinese Buddhist Association, became the boy's master and bestowed on him the religious name: Jizun Losang Qamba Lhunzhub Qoigyijabu Baisangbu.

Representative of the State Council Luo Gan, Special Commissioner of the State Council and Chairman of the Tibet Autonomous Region Gyaincan Norbu, and Ye Xiaowen, director of the State Council Religious Affairs Bureau, jointly presided over the grand ceremony.