| Tibetan Festivals |
2018 Solar Calendar |
Active Region |
Events |
|
Tibetan New Year
(The most important)
|
Feb.16 |
TAR |
Also being called as Losar. Tibetan New Year is a colorful time to be in Lhasa. Tibetan opera is preformed and streets are thronged with Tibetans in their finest cloaks. Prayer ceremonies take place at Jokhang Temple and Nechung Monastery and new prayer flags are hung. |
| Butter Lantern Festival |
Mar.2 |
Jokhang Monastery |
During the night Tibetan people will walk around Barkhor Circuit and visit the biggest butter lamp in front of Jokhang Temple to celebrate the anniversary of Je Tsongkhapa, founder of the Gelugpa School ofTibetan Buddhism, butter lamps are lit and left on the windowsills and rooftops. |
| Nyinchi Peach Blossom Festival |
Mar 25 |
Nyinchi |
Every year in spring, hundreds of thousands tourists come to join Nyingch Peach Blossom Festival. The peach blossom period in Nyinchi is from March 25 to April 20. You will not only enjoy the lovely peach blossom but also have fun with activities such as whistling, princess' wedding, peach and other folk activities. |
| Tsurphu Cham Dance Festival |
May.24 |
Tsurphu Monastery |
Surphu Cham Dance Festival commemorates the famous Indian monk Padmasambhava, who traveled to Tibet and neighboring countries in the 8th century to spread the teachings of Buddhism.Tibetan people travel to Tshurpu Monastery to watch the Lamas engage in a masked dance known as a Cham. The Lamas perform the Cham in celebration of Padmasambhava, who some regard as an emanation of the second Buddha. The Lamas perform several traditional dances, including the dance of the eight manifestations of Padmasambhava, based on the eight forms he is said to have taken during his life. Each form represents a different aspect of his being, such as wrath or pacification. |
|
Saga Dawa Festival
(The holiest one)
|
May.29 |
TAR |
Saga Dawa is Sakyamuni’s conception, enlightenment and entry into nirvana. Huge numbers of pilgrims walk Lhasa’s Lingkhor circuit and visit Mt Kailash, where the Tarboche prayer pole is raised each year. |
| Tashilhunpo Thangka Festival |
Jun.26 |
Tashilhunpo Monastery |
Tashilhunpo becomes the scene of three days of festivities. A huge thangka is unveiled at dawn and cham dances are performed. |
| Chokor Duchen Festival |
Jul.16 |
TAR |
|
| Gyangtse Horse Racing Festival |
Jul.20 |
Gyangtse |
This largely secular festival in Gyantse, featuring such fun and games as line dances, yak races, archery and equestrian events. A large 480-year old thangka is unfurled at sunrise. |
| Ganden Thangka Festival |
Jul.27 |
Gandan Monastery |
Ganden Monastery displays its 25 holiest relics, which are normally locked away. A large offering ceremony accompanies the unveiling. |
| Nagqu Horse Racing Festival |
Aug.10 |
Nagqu |
An important event in northern Tibet, thousands of nomads head to Nagqu for a week of horse racing, archery and other traditional nomad sports. |
|
Shoton Festival
(The most popular)
|
Aug.11 |
TAR |
Also called Yogurt Festival. This major festival starts with the dramatic unveiling of giant thangka at Drepung Monastery and then moves to Sera Monastery and then down to Nobulingka Park for performances of Tibetan opera and some epic picnics. |
| Drak Yerpa Monastrey Cham Dance Festival |
Aug.20 |
Drak Yerpa Monastrey |
|
| Damxung Horse Racing Festival |
Aug.20 |
Damxung |
|
| Bathing Festival |
Sept.16 |
TAR |
The Bathing Festival is called "Gama Riqu" by Tibetans, means bathing. This traditional festival is very popular in the Tibetan area. In July of Tibetan calendar, no matter men or women, will take a bath in the nearby river and wash their hair and body. It is said that they will become healthy and happy without any disease after bathing. |
| Ongkor Festival |
End of Sept |
TAR |
The Ongkor Festival is a festival for Tibetan farmers to celebrate their harvest. It is popular in Lhasa, Shigatse, Lhoka, etc. With 1500 years history, the Ongkor Festival is a grand festival in rural Tibet. There's no a fixed date to celebrate and it usually holds 1~3 days before the autumn harvest. As soon as the festival is over, the intense autumn harvest begins. |
| Buddha's Descent Day |
Oct.31 |
TAR |
The Buddha's Descent Day is a traditional religious festival in Tibet. It is called “Lapo Duiqin” in Tibetan, which means the day of the fall of god. It is said to be the day when Buddha Sakyamuni returned to the world. Before the festival, Tibetan believers will whitewash major temples to welcome the arrival of Buddha. On the day of the festival, Buddhist activities are held in various temples to pray for world peace and the prosperity of the Buddhist dharma. |
| Kongpo and Ngari Area's New Year Festival |
Nov.8 |
Kongpo & Ngari |
Long time ago, when a foreign army invaded Tibet, the local people were unable to resist and had to ask for help from Kongpo Kingdom. The people of Kongpo formed a army to support them. To commemorate the heroic soldiers, the Kongpo people advanced the Tibetan New Year to October 1 of Tibetan calendar. Later, the custom of Kongpo and Ngari Area's New Year Festival on October 1 in the Tibetan calendar came into being. The main activities of the festival are to exorcise, invite dogs to dinner, eat “Jieda”, carry water, celebrate to honor the goddsess of harvest and so on. |
| Palden Lhamo Festival |
Nov.23 |
Lhasa |
The Palden Lhamo Festival is also known as the "Fairies’ Festival " in Tibet. The festival originated from the folklore of Palden Lhamo, the goddess of Jokhang temple. At the Jokhang temple in Lhasa, people worshiped Bai Lhamo, the daughter of Palden Lhamo, one of the Tibetan Buddhist dharma gods. At this time of the year, the women dress up to the statue of Lhamo to burn incense, pray, and sincerely wish. The men treat women with special respect and give them gifts or money on this day. |
| Tsongkhapa Butter Lamp Festival |
Dec.2 |
Lhasa |
The Tsongkhapa Butter Lamp Festival commemorates the death of Tsongkhapa, who was the Buddhist reformer and Gelug founder. Beginning in 1420, the festival is held on October 25 every year in the Tibetan calendar. On this day, the Gelug temples and herdsmen lit butter lamps day and night both inside and outside the temple altars and on the home hall.The number of butter lamps is usually singular, because singular means auspicious in the Tibetan concept. |
What is the most attractive highlight in Tibet? Some people may be interested in Tibetan charming scenery, special Tibetan style food, and unique Tibetan building. However, a large great number of travelers are fond of traditional Tibetan cultures and customs. What’s the best way to know more about Tibetan local cultures and customs? It’s no doubt that having a Tibet festival tour is the best answer to this question. Festival is the spirit of an ethnic group, which stands for the basic belief and faith. As the root of a region, the festival plays an important role to inherit and spread the local traditions by holding grand ceremonies. As one of the minority nationality regions, Tibet provides a great platform for tourists to explore the traditional cultures and customs.
