Rows of Tibetan butter sculptures are displayed in Lhasa, Xizang on February 19, 2025. /VCG

Rows of Tibetan butter sculptures are displayed in Lhasa, Xizang on February 19, 2025. /VCG

A vendor holds up two Tibetan butter sculptures in Lhasa, Xizang on February 19, 2025. /VCG

A vendor holds up two Tibetan butter sculptures in Lhasa, Xizang on February 19, 2025. /VCG

A woman works on a Tibetan butter sculpture in Lhasa, Xizang on February 19, 2025. /VCG

A woman works on a Tibetan butter sculpture in Lhasa, Xizang on February 19, 2025. /VCG

These butter sculptures have appeared just in time for Tibetan New Year, which begins next week.

Known as "ziza" in the Tibetan language, the sculptures are crafted with refined yak milk that changes form when heated. This yak butter is mixed with mineral pigments to create the bright colors seen in the designs.

Flowers, trees, birds, animals and figures of humans and Buddha are seen in the sculptures, which often tell Buddhist stories. Tibetan butter sculptures were included in China's national-level Intangible Cultural Heritage List in 2006.

These items are a must-have for Tibetan New Year, or Losar, which is observed as a multi-day celebration in Xizang.  

Losar customs begin with house cleaning on the penultimate day of the Tibetan calendar and progress to Tibetan New Year's Day when people have an early bath, make sacrifices at shrines, and visit their neighbors to exchange gifts.