Summer is widely considered as the best season to travel to Tibet because the temperature during this season makes it is quite comfortable for travel throughout Tibet. Let’s see what are the highlights of Tibet tour in summer 2013.
1. Gyantse Horse Racing festival (June 23-26, 2013)
Gyantse Horse Racing Festival is a great chance for tourists to witness Tibetan people’s enthusiasm on Horse race. Interesting activities are held on the festival, like ball games, track and field events, folk songs and dances, barter trade, etc.
2. Tashilhunpo Festival (June 21, 2013)
Tashilhunpo Festival or Buddha Exhibition Festival held in Tashilhunpo Monastery enjoys high popularity among local Tibetans and tourists. Thangkas of three different Buddhas are unveiled on each day during the three-day festival, Dipankara (Buddha of the Past) on the first day, Shakyamuni (Buddha of the Present) on the second day and Maitreya (Buddha of the Future) on the third day.
3. Cham Festival at Samye and Trandruk monasteries (June 23, 2013)
Cham, popular religious dance in Tibet, is considered a form of meditation, and usually part of Buddhist festivals. The lively masked and costumed dance is associated with some sects of Buddhism, accompanied by music played by monks using traditional Tibetan instruments.
4. Chokor Duchen Festival (July 12, 2013)
Chokor Duchen Festival is one of the four great seasonal festivals (Losar, Saga Dawa, Chokor Duchen and Lhabab Duchen) celebrated by all Tibetan Buddhists. During those times, it is believed that the effects of positive or negative actions are multiplied ten million times. Therefore, many pilgrims climb the Mt. Gyambu Utse, the peak behind Drepung Monastery, and also the ridge from Pabonka to the Dode Valley, to burn the incense and hang prayer flags.
5. Ganden Thangka Festival (July 22, 2013)
The Ganden Thangka Festival is held in memory of the enlightenment of Tsongkhapa, a well-known Tibetan religious philosopher. During this festival, Ganden Monastery would display its 25 holiest relics, which are normally locked away. Monks in Ganden would hang an enormous thangka from the special wall at the northern corner of the monastery. Thousands of people would circle the monastery, enter inside to view the Buddha, pray, and get blessed.
6. Shoton Festival (August 6, 2013)
It is the grandest Tibetan festival in summer. Early in the morning, Drepung and Sera monasteries will hang a piece of huge thangkha and then after that most of the Tibetans will go to Norbu lingkha to watch Tibetan opera dancing and then spend the rest of the time with their families by having a picnics.
7. Nagqu Horse Racing Festival (August 10-15, 2013)
Horse racing again because Tibetan people love horse race so much. The Nagqu Horse Racing Festival is the grandest annual event in northern Tibet. Tens of thousands of herdmen gather on the vast grassland dotted with tents to enjoy the horse riding competition, yak race, tug of war, stone-lifting and Tibetan operas.
.jpg "Tibetan Local Travel Agency")
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