0062 - Happy Tibetan "Xuedun" Festival. A colossal painting of Sakyamuni, t...Back

Happy Tibetan "Xuedun" Festival. A colossal painting of Sakyamuni, the founder of Buddhism was spread out on the hillside in front of Zhebang Monastery in Lhasa early on the morning of August 5 to mark the start of "Xuedun" Festival in Tibet. A formal opening ceremony for the festival was held in Norbu Lingka in the afternoon of the same day. It was attended by residents of Lhasa and Tibetans from different parts of Tibet. Folk artists and performers from Tibet and Tibetan communities in Qinghai, Sichuan and Gansu provinces also attended. Various types of Tibetan drama were staged. In a sense, the "Xuedun" is a Tibetan drama festival. "Xuedun" means sour milk banquet in the Tibetan language. It has a history of more than 300 years. This year is "Xuedun" celebrations was the largest in scale in more than 30 years since Tibet's peaceful liberation.