Lhasa celebrates Shoton Festival

World
Europe

Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, began celebrating the annual Shoton Festival on Monday.

The event began amid a drizzle at Drepung Monastery, the largest monastery of Tibetan Buddhism's Gelug Sect, where a large thangka painting of the Buddha was on display.

At 7:10 a.m., monks and believers moved the painting from the great hall of the monastery to the exhibition stage as thousands of people watched from the winding mountain road.

A large thangka painting of the Buddha is shined at Drepung Monastery in Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, Aug. 21, 2017. /Xinhua Photo

A man in his 30s named Kunga took his wife and daughter to the Buddha exhibition. Kunga and his family woke up at 5 a.m. at their home in Lhasa's Liuwu New District.

"I'm busy with my business and the child is busy at school. It's good to spend some time with her during the festival," said Kunga. He said the Shoton Festival is the second most popular festival in Lhasa, only following the Tibetan New Year.

Kunga was a farmer living on the outskirts of Lhasa, before the Qinghai-Tibet Railway opened in 2006. Since then, the district has developed into one of the most prosperous areas in Lhasa, and Kunga now runs a grocery store there.

A large thangka painting of the Buddha is exhibited at Drepung Monastery in Lhasa, Aug. 21, 2017. /Xinhua Photo

The Buddha exhibition is an important occasion for elderly Tibetans.

"My husband and I came here last night. After worshiping the thangka, we will go to the Sera Monastery and watch Tibetan opera for several days before returning home," said 70-year-old Rinqen Wangmo from Nagarze, Shannan City. The couple spent the night on a wool pad in front of the great hall.

Tibetan opera performances are another must-see at the Shoton Festival.

Dating back to the 14th century, the performance style epitomizes Tibetan culture, combining dance, chanting and songs, and the region's famed painted masks. It was included on the list of national intangible cultural heritage in 2006 and was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2009.

"The legends, the operas tale are well-known among Tibetans. Although we young people can't understand every line like the older generation, we're familiar with every character. I hope my child can learn more about the opera, so I will take her to the show," Kunga said.

Buddhists and believers carry a giant thangka painting of the Buddha for exhibition at Drepung Monastery in Lhasa, Aug. 21, 2017. /Xinhua Photo

In addition to exhibitions, Tibetan opera performances and Tibetan equestrianism, the week-long festival will also include hiking, yogurt-eating and beer-drinking contests, and a Tibetan-style fashion show.

The Shoton Festival, also known as the Yogurt Banquet Festival, has been held since the 11th century. It was originally a religious occasion when locals would offer yogurt to monks who had finished meditation retreats.

In the first half of 2017, Lhasa received about 3.86 million domestic and foreign tourists, a year-on-year increase of 18.21 percent, generating tourism revenue of about 5.1 billion yuan (764 million US dollars).

2568km

Source(s): Xinhua News Agency