Ep 1. The Visit

The Panchen Lama, the highest-ranking Buddhist living in Tibet today, pays a sudden visit to the local monastery and throws the monks into turmoil. For Tsephun, a novice monk, the visit proves to be the most exciting day of his life. In the town, Jianzang, a local hotel owner, is worried about the lack of business. Despite a last-minute panic with blocked pipes in his hotel rooms and an inspection by the local tourist chief, the Panchen's visit gives him a late-season windfall.