Custom of Wangkor Festival

Custom of Wangkor Festival – Parade

In the morning of the first day of Wangkor Festival, when sunshine covers golden barley fields, farmers will walk around the field with barley tassels in their hands. The front of the queue is an honor guard which consists of Lamas and old farmers. They hold high Buddha statues, chant scriptures and play Buddhist horn to thank God for good weather and harvest. For hard work farmers, it is so glad to see the mature crops and smell the fragrance from fields.

Custom of Wangkor Festival – Entertainment

After walking around fields, Tibetans will have mass recreational and sports activities on square, including performance of Tibetan Opera, performance of song and dance, horse racing, shooting, tug-of-war, etc. On the day of Wangkor Festival, each family will prepare enough wine and food, and every member in the family will wear the most beautiful clothes. They may picnic on the grassland around the square, or invite friends and relatives to have banquet in the village. Young girls and boys would like to sing songs and dance around campfire to communicate emotion until late. In some districts of Tibet, the Wongkor Festival will last for three to four days. The activities of entertainment vary with the length of the festival.

Custom of Wangkor Festival – Religious Rites

Tibetans who will walk around fields gather at side of censer in front of monastery. At this time, a folk Conjurer will start the religious rites before the activity. Before setting out, villages will walk around the monastery and Weisang (burn incense) in turn. They will hold a series of religious rites. The square in front of monastery looks grand and lively. Here, villagers will toast barley wine to people who will walk around fields to express best wishes. People who are fond of drinking wine will take out a bowl. In general, they can pass by after drinking up the wine in the bowl after three sips. Women do have the habit of taking bowl with them. They will use hand to hold wine and drink. It is a very interesting phenomenon in Tibetan wine culture.

Custom of Wangkor Festival – Sacrificial Ceremony

Based on traditional custom, the queue of walking around fields will hold sacrificial ceremony in front of each monastery on the way. At that time, the village and fields are full of happy and harmonious atmosphere. In the evening, the queue of walking around fields will go back to the village. But the activities do not end at this time. They will walk around the village for once. Based on custom, the family which will be passed by the queue of walking around fields should send a person to welcome the queue on the roof. It means to welcome luck.

At last, the queue will go back to the place where they depart in the morning and hold the last religious rite on side of the monastery in the village. At that time, the sound of drum and other instruments will start. In the happy atmosphere, the one day Wangkor Festival successfully ends.