Tibetan Festivals in Summer 2014

There are many Tibetan festivals would be celebrated in different seasons every year. This article aims at introducing the Tibetan festivals in summer 2014 for tourists planning to pay a visit to Tibet in summer. Tourists planning a Tibet tour might know that most Tibetans are devout pilgrims, and most Tibetan festivals are closely related to the Tibetan Buddhism or Bon. The most noted Shoton Festival is the grandest Buddhism festival in Lhasa, Nagqu Horse Racing Festivals is the most hilarious festival in northern Tibet in summer, Mt. Everest Culture Festival is closely related to the tourism in Shigatse Prefecture while the Yarlung Culture Festival is closely related to the cultural atmosphere in Shannan Prefecture. The celebration of the above Tibetan festivals attract a large number of tourists coming to Tibet for sightseeing in summer and also provides visitors the chance to explore the profound Tibetan culture.

Tibetan Festivals in Summer 2014 - Shoton Festival

The annual Shoton Festival is the most grand festival for local Tibetans in Lhasa. According to the Tibetan Calendar, the celebration of the Shoton Festival would be started in the end of June and it would last for about half a month. It will be celebrated on August 25th in 2014. Shoton means "eating yogurt" in Tibetan. Therefore, local Tibetans would eat yogurt with their families and friends in the gardens on Shoton Festival. The Buddha exhibition and Tibetan opera also play important role in the celebration of the Shoton Festival. A giant thangka of Sakyamuni would be exhibited on the exhibition deck of Drepung Monastery. Numerous pilgrims from different corners of the world would collect at Drepung Monastery to worship the Buddha. Tibetan opera teams from different regions in Tibet would show their best performance for audiences in the gardens (such as Norbu Lingka) in Lhasa.

Tibetan Festivals in Summer 2014 - Horse Racing Festival

Grand and hilarious horse racing festival would be held in Damgxung (in Nagqu Prefecture) in every August. Except for the traditional horse racing, the special yak racing, archery, horsemanship, weight lifting, push-and-pull and some other Tibetan style sports programme would also be carried out during the Horse Racing Festival. Tourists visiting Nagqu during the celebration of the horse racing festival would have the chance to see colorful tents settled on the green grassland. It would be a wonderful experience to have a traditional Tibetan dance with the local Tibetans.

Tibetan Festivals in Summer 2014 - Bathing Festival

The annual Bathing Festival would be celebrated in early July according to the Tibetan Calendar. Both Tibetans live in the city and the countryside varied in ages would take a bath by Lhasa River. According to the tradition, taking a bath during the Bathing Festival could wash off the the disasters, diseases, annoyance and miseries.

In addition, to promote the local tourism development, some new festivals were celebrated recent years. The Shangshung Culture Festival celebrated in Ngari offer visitors the chance to appreciate the picturesque natural landscape of Tsaparang. Noted as the Roof of the Roof of the World, Ngari Plateau always make visitors be reluctant to leave with its breathtaking natural view. The Shigatse Mt. Everest Culture Festival allows visitors to take an overview of the highest mountain above the sea level and enjoy the amazing sunset and sunrise view at Everest Base Camp.