Festivals

Drepung Monastery is one of Tibet’s most important seats of Buddhism and each year, pilgrims travel from all around for this festival in its grounds. Prayers and offerings are made and the monks chant scriptures. Elaborate Cham dances are performed, depicting historical and religious stories and legends.

Yushu (or Gyêgu) was a town ideally situated as a center for trade and was historically the home of the richest Tibetans in the country. Every year this festival celebrates the wealth of the area with a carnival of colorful tents. Visitors flock to see exciting horse races and beautiful folk dance performances.

This is one of the most important events in the Buddhist calendar, for which pilgrims from all over Tibet try to make the journey to Drepung Monastery. This day commemorates the first sermon given by Buddha regarding the four noble truths and because Buddhists believe that their actions on this day will be multiplied many times, they meditate.

One of Tibet’s greatest temples, Ganden Monastery is the destination for thousands of Buddhists and tourists every year for this special day. People gather early, to pray, pay homage to the holy relics and gather on surrounding hillsides to see the great unveiling of an enormous handwoven tapestry depicting Buddha.

This important Buddhist festival has been established for 500 years and is hugely popular with pilgrims from all over Tibet. For three days, the Tashilhunpo monastery opens its grounds and displays a different Buddha each day. Finally, a giant painted mural is unveiled and there is a procession around the monastery compound.

Buddhists flock to the monastery in Samye, the oldest in the country for this festival. People camp out around the compound, and there’s a great picnic with singing, dancing and chanting as they await the monks dressed in elaborate costumes who perform stories and legends. Later, devotees climb nearby mountains to burn incense and hang flags.