or March)
It's held on the 15th of the first lunar month.
Huge yak-butter sculptures are placed around
Lhasa's Barkhor circuit.
Saga Dawa Festival (May or June)
It is the holiest in Tibet, there memorable
occasions coincide on this day, Buddha's birth
and Buddha's enlightenment. Almost every person
within Lhasa join in circumambulations round the
city and spend their late afternoon on picnic at
" Dzongyab Lukhang" park at the foot of Potala.
Gyantse Horse Race & Archery (May or June)
Horse race and archert are generally popular in
Tibet, and Gyantse enjoys prestige of being the
earliest in history by starting in 1408.
Contests in early times included horse race,
archery, and shooting on gallop followed by a
few days' entertainment or picnicing. Presently,
ball games, track and field events, folk songs
and dances, barter trade are in addition to the
above.
Changtang Chachen Horse Race Festival (August)
There are many horse racing festivals in Tibet,
the one in Nagqu of Northern Tibet is the
greatest. August is the golden season on
Northern Tibet's vast grassland. Herdsmen , on
their horsebacks, in colorful dresses, carrying
tents and local products, pour into Nagqu. Soon
they form a city of tents. Various exciting
programs are held, such as horse racing, yak
racing, archery, horsemanship and commodity
fair.
Shoton Festival (August)
It is one of the major festivals in Tibet, also
known as the Tibetan Opera Festival. The founder
of the Gelugpa (Yellow Sect of Buddhism),
Tsongkhapa set the rule that Buddhists can
cultivate themselves only indoor in summer, to
avoid killing other creatures carelessly.
Because creatures are most active in summer.
This rule must be carried out till the seventh
lunar month. Then Buddhists go outdoor, accept
yoghurt served by local people, and have fun.
Since the middle of 17th century, the Fifth
Dalai Lama added opera performance to this
festival. Famous Tibetan opera troupes perform
in Norbulingka (Dalai Lama's summer palace).
Bathing Festival (September)
It is believed when the sacred planet Venus
appears in the sky, the water in the river
becomes purest and cures diseases. During its
appearance for one week, usually the end of the
seventh and beginning of the eighth lunar
months, all the people in Tibet go into the
river to wash away the grime of the previous
year.
Kungbu Traditional Festival (November or
December)
Long long ago, when Tibet was in danger of large
scale invasion, the Kongpo people sent out an
army to defend their homeland. It was in
September and the soldiers worried that they
might miss the New Year, highland barley wine
and other good things. So people had the Tibetan
New Year on 1st October ahead of time. To
memorize those brave soldiers Kongpo people
present three sacrifices an stay up at night
from then on. And now it has become the Kongpo
Festival for entertainment like Kongpo dancing,
horse race, archery and shooting.
Harvest Festival (September)
The farmers in Lhasa, Gyantse and Shangnan to
celebrating their bumer harvest in this time.
During that time, people enjoy with horse racing
games, custom fashion show, songs and dance
Archery and picnic etc. |