There has been a lot of talk these days in the west and other places about the (Han) Chinese interfering with the Tibetan's selection of a new Panchen Lama. They claim that the Central Government has destroyed yet another valuable Chinese tradition by interfering with selecting a new Panchen Lama. I mention a few points as proposed by the Chinese side.
Panchen's rank in Tibetan society is almost directly below the Dalai. His lineage dates to the 16th century, when the original Panchen Lama was declared to be the incarnation of Amitabha (阿彌陀佛). The Panchen has two main duties within Lamaism, first he is the tutor of the Dalai Lama, and second, he serves as the Abbot of the monastery for centuries.
In 1792, the Qianlong (乾隆) emperor, Aixinjuelo Hong-Li (愛新覺羅弘曆) instituted a ceremony to select the Panchen Lama involving a lottery, a golden urn and names wrapped in barley dough balls. This ceremony allowed that the central government would have final say on the selection of the new Panchen Lama. editem
