Later in the day, shops re-opened and locals spilled on to the streets. But in the Barkhor neighbourhood of old Lhasa -- a web of alleys centred on the Jokhang temple -- Tibetan residents showed little enthusiasm for the relay and spoke flinchingly of the unrest, crackdown and a dearth of business and jobs.
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"It's still very tense... Best not go out at night," said one Tibetan jewel shop owner. "We're waiting for the tourists to come back, but they're not coming. They're still too scared."
Outside his doorway passed a flow of Buddhist pilgrims, locals and Chinese tourists -- but in far smaller numbers than years past, he said. Many shopfronts were shuttered.
Olympic torch relay in Delhi
Asked about the relay, another local said, "We have other things to think about." She and the shop owner did not want their names used.
Image: Chinese policemen guard a road during the Olympic torch relay in Lhasa.
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