Tibet Wine Culture

It is profound and age-old of Tibetan wine culture, which the traditional history of drinking vessel is one of the most important part of it. The earliest drinking vessel is ceramic cup, which could be date back to 3000 years ago. It has been explored in the archaerological site. The ancient ceramic cup were usually made of black pottery and polished very smoothly. The decorations on the cup are mainly geometric lines. The craftsmanship of those ceramic cup was the highly advanced at that time, which formed a unique and fantastic Tibetan wine culture.

Tibet Wine Culture - Driking Vessel History

Due to the distinctive geographic feature and different life style, large numbers of drinking vessel in different shape and quality have been made in Tibet region. The folk custom of making ceramic drinking vessal has been succeeded successfully.

In Shigatse, the Snow Cock Flagon is usually used in Tibetan pepple's daily life. The snow cock is one of the wild birds in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, which feed on Chinese caterpillar fungus. In farming area, the shape of snow cock has been been used to make the drinking vessel. It was beautiful and implied a kind of medicinal liquor.

In Tibet Region, it is very popular to drink the highland barley wine. People usually put Zanba at the bottom of the bowl to dilute the alcohol concentration. It is not easy to be drunk and good for health.

During the festivals, the drinking vessel is much exquisite and beautiful. The inwall and the bottom of the walnut bowl have been covered the pure silver and pure gold. It looks artistic and maginificent with the wooden ectotheca.

On the wedding ceremony in farming area, a large ceramic vat with full highland barley wine is put in the center of the hall. Some large ceramic spoon are hanging on the vat. The rim of the drinking vessel is 20cm and made of silver. Tibetans usually drink one bowl with 3 times. Many tourists would like to challenge themselves but failed finally.

Besides, there is another drinking vessel made of the horns of the wild yak. Because the yak is so fierce and tough that it is representative of the power and brave of man's.

What's more, the metal flat pot was introduced from Mongolia area into Tibet region. It was made originated from the shape of the leather bag hanging on the horse. It is coonvenient to carry for herdsman in daily life.

In Nyingchi Prefecture and Qamdo Prefecture, the drinking vessels are mostly wooden because the forest resource are abundant in both of those areas. After the made of the wooden drinking vessel, it should be soaked for a short period in the water to make the gap closed according to the theory of the swell of the wood. As there are full of dense trees in the Nyingchi and Qamdo, most people are also good at brewing the highland barley wine and making the heating drinking vessel. The shape of the heating drinking vessel looks like the flagon with curved handle and slendar spout.