Two men set themselves on fire at a temple popular with tourists, marking the first time a recent wave of self-immolations to protest Chinese rule has reached the Tibetan capital.

One man died and the other was taken to hospital after they set themselves on fire yesterday outside the Jokhang Temple, Chinese news agency reported.

The report quoted a local Communist Party official as blaming separatist forces, an accusation often made against Tibetan exiles who back the Dalai Lama.

The two men were taken away by authorities within two minutes of setting themselves on fire.

Protests have become rare in remote Tibet and Lhasa in particular because of tight police security that has blanketed the area since anti-government riots erupted in 2008.

There have been at least 34 immolations since March of last year to draw attention to China's restrictions on Buddhism and to call for the return from exile of the Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama.

Most have taken place in heavily Tibetan areas of China, but only one had occurred in Tibet itself and none in the capital.

Chinese authorities have confirmed some of the self-immolations over the past year but not all.

The incident took place in Barkhor market near the temple in the centre of Lhasa, an area popular with Tibetans and tourists alike, and is certain to embarrass the region's communist leaders who have pledged to prioritise social stability and ethnic unity.

The immolations are also likely to prompt tough, new restrictions on Tibetan social gatherings and religious activities in Lhasa, as they have elsewhere.

The man who died was named as Tobgye Tseten from Gansu province and the other man as Dargye, from Sichuan province.