The sidewalk along the entrance to the Hilton Zurich Airport was cordoned off with tape and barriers on Friday afternoon. Long before the Dalai Lama’s expected arrival at 5.30 p.m., more and more people lined up behind it with every bus or train that stopped nearby.
Some appeared in traditional costumes, others brought flowers, incense sticks or Tibetan flags. And everyone waited anxiously for the Dalai Lama. When he arrived at 7:15 p.m., accompanied by a police escort, everyone quietly craned their necks and filmed with their mobile phones.
A short ritual to greet
The 89-year-old got out right in front of the hotel entrance, where he was greeted with traditional songs and a few short welcoming rituals. The Dalai Lama smiled and exchanged a few words with those around him. After five minutes, he slowly retreated into the hotel, supported by companions.
The Dalai Lama will be in Switzerland until Monday. On Sunday he will appear at an event in the Hallenstadion. At 9 a.m. he will take part in a long-life ceremony and give a short instruction in the Tibetan language. This will be followed by various activities by the “Tibetan Community of Switzerland and Liechtenstein” until 2 p.m.
She had only found out about His Holiness’s visit at short notice, as she wrote in a statement. The event in the Hallenstadion was organized in a short time – advance sales only started on Wednesday afternoon a week ago.
Only tickets without view
“This event has been very popular over the last seven days,” says the Hallenstadion website. Tickets were still available on Friday – but only for seats in the sixth category, which have “no view of the stage and limited acoustics.” These were not initially put on sale, but have now been offered due to demand.
Because of this great interest, the Hallenstadion will open its doors at 7 a.m. on Sunday. The Tibetan Community of Switzerland and Liechtenstein recommends arriving early.
The Dalai Lama has already been to Switzerland several times. For example, in September 2018, when the 50th anniversary of the Tibet Institute in Rikon in Zurich’s Tösstal was celebrated. And in August 2005, he gave eight days of teachings in the Hallenstadion; 30,000 people from 44 countries traveled to Oerlikon at that time, and around 270 journalists from home and abroad reported on it.
