Shannan Festivals and Events

According to the long record of Shannan(Lhoka) history, it has many "firsts" honor and that’s the reason why Lhoka was recognized as "the cradle of Tibetan culture". They are: the first king of Tibet - Nie Chi Zanpu; the first palace - Yungbulakang; the first temple - Tradruk Monastery; the first piece of farmland-Sedom(索当); the first sutra classics; the first Tibetan Opera, etc., were all born in Shannan. Many festivals are held in Shannan region in its counties, district, monasteries and villages to celebrate the harvest season, the New Year or Losar and natural elements such as birds. Thus it’s an exciting thing to enjoy Shannan’s festivals and events.

Festivals in Shannan(Lhoka)

Tibetan New Year

On New Year's Day, people bring their offerings and highland barley wine to their own crops to sacrifice the Harvest Goddess. Everyone in the ground set up a long pole, hanging streamer on the top of the pole, and wheat straw bound on the lower. People build an altar in front of the pole, and then simmering mulberry, singing, dancing, begging the Harvest Goddess a booming harvest. There are lots of New Year entertainment. From the beginning of the second day, the men take part in horse racing and archery, the arrow is a wooden cone drilled a lot of holes, when arrows are taken away from the string, people begin dancing and drinking around the campfire. 

Festival of birds

The festival for worship of birds is called in Chinese “yingniao jie”. It is a religious festival that is special to the Bon or Bonpo community, which still practices the original pre-Buddhist religion of Tibet known as Bön. During the festival, cuckoo, the spring bird, which is considered the king of all birds arrives in the naidong qiasalakang temple in Tsedang, the Bird’s temple; according to a specific Tibetan calendar date, corresponding to May as per Gregorian calendar. The festival is also observed in a different month at the Reting Monastery and celebrated till the Cuckoo is seen chirping and accepting food offerings in the monastery grounds. The bird temple has a large Buddha statue cast by King Baikezan. On this occasion birds are given a red carpet welcome at Linka with a tribute of food items such as the Tibetan Highland barley, wheat, peas and other grains on a platter placed on a table. The first cuckoo bird known locally as “Kuda” arrives as a messenger of the Cuckoo king of birds and after a survey of the arrangements made in the Linka, the chief Cuckoo bird arrives formally by performing “Xiezha” at the grounds where a table is set with offerings for the bird. Arrival of these spring birds every year and hearing its chirping is considered as an auspicious sign by the Tibetan people to usher a good cropping season, for the birds have been the mascot for Tibetan people since ancient times.

Praying for Fruit Festival

In the middle of August of the Tibetan Calendar, people will dress up and bring with butter tea, highland barley wine and a variety of food to the fields for having picnic. At the same time, they will sing and dance, and hold Horse racing, cattle racing, archery, stoning, wrestling and other activities.

Tibetan Opera

Through the efforts of ancient folk artists and intellectuals, people created the Tibetan opera art. Generally people regard Shigatse as the birthplace of Tibetan opera, and Tang Dongjiebu as the ancestor of Tibetan opera. Tang Dongjiebu came from Shigatse, he developed Tibetan art by using folk and religious art. The Fifth Dalai Lama advocated the Tibetan Opera Festival and promoted the exchange and development of Tibetan opera. There various kinds of performances, such as totem mask dance, white mask artistic performances, and jumping God art and so on.

Menba Wedding

 Monba people live in the southeastern part of Tibet, it is a place called "door corner". Menyu is located in the southern slope of the eastern section of the Himalayas, which has mild climate, lush green trees, shed waterfalls, rivers and lakes and flowers throughout all the year. It is a spring city. When Menba people hold wedding, the man not only sent a special hand, but also hold the welcoming ceremony three times to meet the bride and the guests. This is the distinctive speciality "power Qiangsong" , that is "three course wine to meet bride." If the "three wine" are successfully passed, the wedding is expected to be successful. They also have the custom of changing clothes, drink the "East Qiang" wine and sing the "Auspicious Song".