Pigeons fly as an ethnic Tibetan monk (R) and a worshipper walk in the temple's yard during the "Monlam" Festival in a monastery in Tongren, Qinghai province February 18, 2010. Local Tibetan monks and pilgrims gather to celebrate "Monlam", or Great Prayer Festival, one of the most important festivals in Tibetan Buddhism. China urged the U.S. to scrap plans for President Barack Obama to meet the Dalai Lama, the latest source of friction in already strained Sino-U.S. relations. The White House said that Obama would meet the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader on Thursday despite China's repeated warnings that such talks would hurt ties. REUTERS/Nir Elias (CHINA - Tags: SOCIETY RELIGION POLITICS)