When the first beam of sunlight fell on a giant embroidered portrait of the Maitreya Buddha, the valley of Drepung Monastery became a sea of chanting and cheering.

Every year, on the last day of the sixth month on the Tibetan calendar, the unveiling of the priceless portrait marks the prologue of the Shoton Festival.

"I've seen the demonstration ceremony many times. But just now I still feel very proud as a Tibetan that the Tangka could be so exquisite."

"This is my third time in Lhasa. During the festival I get to take some really nice photos of the architect, the people and their customs."

"I made some wishes to the Buddha. Nothing big, just my family's health and safety."

The millennium-old Buddhism festival started in the 11th century when lamas of the Drepung Monastery formed a ritual of going into seclusion during springtime, to allow fragile living things like grass and insects to grow freely and not be stepped on and killed. To reward their kindness, local laypeople would wait outside the monastery for the 100-day fast to end and offer the lamas yogurt, a staple food for Tibetans.

Ma Ke Lhasa "Today, the festival of Shoton, which means 'Yogurt Banquet' in the local language, has evolved into one of the largest cultural events in the Tibetan calendar, not only for Buddhists, but also for those from afar who want to experience the Tibetan culture first-hand."

PUPDGOLGA Head of Deashue Tibetan Opera Troupe "The Shoton festival is a big deal for people in Lhasa, and also for small Tibetan Opera troupes like us. Many of our performers are here out of sheer passion. Our youngest member is only 17. We cherish every moment on the stage."

The Tibetan Opera has been a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage since 2009. It's one of the most popular activities during the week-long celebrations. Troupes from Qinghai, Sichuan, Gansu and Yunnan provinces will come to Lhasa for competition.

PUPDGOLGA Head of Deashue Tibetan Opera Troupe "Tibetan Opera mainly tells folklores and legends. It was once only favored by elderly audience, but now more young people are interested. We're a troupe of non-professional performers. But we're confident that more people will fall in love with traditional Tibetan culture through us."

Various activities like horse and yak races, Tibetan chess, and hiking contests will follow in the coming days, attracting tens of thousands of tourists to the roof of the world and creating a peak season for local tourism businesses. Ma Ke, CGTN, Lhasa.