The 14th Dalai Lama at the enthronement ceremony [File Photo]

After the 13th Dalai Lama died, the local Tibetan government confirmed Reting as the Regent, who helped rule Tibet before the next Dalai Lama was found. At the same time, one of the relatives of the 13th Dalai Lama's was confirmed as an assistant Regent. What the Regents were urgent to do was to search for the reincarnation of the last Dalai Lama. According to their religious ritual, the steps taken were as follows:

First, Oracles and learned Lamas were consulted, and information below was acquired. At the beginning, curious cloud formations were seen in the northeast from Lhasa. It was recalled that after the Dalai Lama died, his body was placed seated on a throne in his summer residence, facing toward the south; but after a few days it was seen that the face had turned toward the east. Then on a wooden pillar on the northeastern side of the shrine where the body sat, a great star-shaped fungus suddenly appeared. All of this information indicated the direction where the new Dalai Lama should be sought.

Second, the Regent went to the sacred lake of Lhamo Latso.Tibetan people believe that visions of the future can be seen in the water of this lake. At the beginning, the Regent saw the vision of three Tibetan letters, which respectively stand for the locations where the new Dalai Lama used to live. Next a picture of a monastery was seen, which is famous and the biggest one near the Dalai Lama's hometown. And the color of the roof was mentioned and so on. Basically, the information above gave more details about the location where the new Dalai Lama used to live.

Third, three groups of senior lamas carrying the secrets of their visions were sent out to the three different regions to search. One group of them searched in northwest China's Qinghai Province. They got 14 holy boys in all, and the most intelligent was Lhamo Dongrub.

Fourth, the whole searching group in QingHai made further tests. At first, they brought with them two identical black rosaries, and then two same yellow ones. And they offered two different drums and two different walking sticks. Then they asked the boy to identify which one belonged to the 13th Dalai Lama. The boy chose the right one every time.

In 1936, the then Nationalist (KMT) government based in Nanjing dispatched official Huang Musong to pay condolences to the death of 13th Dalai Lama.

The Decree from the National Government was issued to dispatch Wu Zhongxin，Chairman of the Committee for Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs to Join Reting in presiding over the Reincarnation of the 14th Dalai Lama in 1940.[File Photo]

And in 1940, a Decree from the National Government was issued to dispatch Wu Zhongxin，Chairman of the Committee for Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs to Join Reting in presiding over the Reincarnation of the 14th Dalai Lama. In response, Reting wrote a letter thanking the National Government for dispatching Wu to preside over the enthronement ceremony with him.

On Jan.31, 1940, Wu Zhongxin came to see the 14th Dalai Lama in Norbulingka, the summer palace of the Dalai Lama.[File Photo]

On Jan.31, 1940, Wu Zhongxin came to see the 14th Dalai Lama in Norbulingka, the summer palace of the Dalai Lama. On Feb. 22, Wu presided over the Enthronement Ceremony to confirm Lhamo Dongrub as the 14th Dalai Lama.

In his letter to the National Government, Wu Zhongxin reported: "The Enthronement Ceremony started at 6 this morning. I personally presided over the ceremony, which was extremely solemn."

Then another Decree was issued by the National Government confirming Lhamo Dongrub as the 14th Dalai Lama. And Regent Reting replied to the National Government for the confirmation.

The Decree was issued by the National Government confirming Lhamo Dongrub as the 14th Dalai Lama.[File photo/Xinhua]

Source from Wang Xiaobin, Associate Professor at Institute of Contemporary Politics Research of China Tibetology Research Center.