The smell of burning buildings still hangs in the air nearly two weeks after violent rioting swept through the old Tibetan quarter of Lhasa, leaving behind a string of shops and apartments reduced to charcoal frames.

It is just one of many signs that the anti-Chinese riot which convulsed Tibet’s ancient capital was far more aggressive, long-running and inflicted far more damage than any outsiders had previously realised. The neighbourhood remains under strict lockdown, with heavy police and military presence at every corner and shops, bars and restaurants shuttered. But the feel of a war-zone in the old quarter contrasts markedly with the bustling atmosphere of the Han Chinese-dominated new town.