Mina Qiangmu is one of the oldest Tibetan dances. As one of the regional intangible cultural heritage of Tibet Autonomous Region, Mina Qiangmu is gaining more attention regarding its preservation and development. Demo Monastery, located in Nichi Village of Nyingchi County, is the major cradleland of Mi-nyag Qiangmu and Demo Qiangmu, a religious “holy dance”.…

Tibetan costumes carry an unique record of its time-honored history. The study on Tibetan costumes will enhance research on the historical and cultural development of Tibetan ethnic group. Historical records show that the essential characteristics of modern Tibetan costumes took shape as early as 11th century, BC. With the intercommunication between different tribes and ethnic…

Cobblestones adorn the bed of Nyangchu River when the water falls. Dondrup Tenpa, 24 years old, picks up these stones which he treasures very much, cleans them carefully and puts them into a bag. These hand-sized, flat and rounded pebbles will be carved by Dondrup Tenpa with exquisite images of Budda and eight auspicious symbols,…

The Sagya Dawa Festival is celebrated on the 15th day of the fourth Tibetan month. Legend has it that Sakyamuni, founder of Buddhism, was born, entered into monkhood, and passed away on this day. In memory of the Buddha, Buddhist followers take ritual walks, worship Buddha, give alms to lamas, and abstain from eating meat.…

The Grand Summons Ceremony is held from the 4th to the 25th day of the first Tibetan month. Lamas from the Zhaibung, Sera, and Ganden Monasteries gather mainly in the Jokhang Monastery in Lhasa for the recitation of Buddhist sutras, examinations for the Buddhist academic degree of Geshi, alms given by various benefactors, religious rituals,…

For thousands of years, there was an ancient road walked by human feet and horse hoofs in the mountains of Southwest China, bridging the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau with other areas in China.This ancient commercial passage dubbed the “Ancient Tea-Horse Road“, stretching across more than 4,000 kilometers mainly in Southwest China’s Sichuan and Yunnan provinces and the…

The Tibetan mastiff originates from China’s Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. It is considered to be one of the oldest precious breeds in the world. Some researchers even believe that the Tibetan mastiff is the ancestor of many large mastiff breeds on the European continent. There have been many documents about it; however, detailed and complete information is…

The Tibetan New Year is the most important festival that the Lhasa people celebrate. On the dawn of the first day of the 1st month, according to the Tibetan calendar, the Lhasa people, donned in their holiday’s best, go to fetch the new year’s first bucket of water from the source of a river, holy…

After 200 years, the Tubo Kingdom experienced increasing internal conflict. Various royal families, monks, lay officials, Buddhist forces, and anti-Buddhist forces were locked in a life-and-death fight. When the anti-Buddhist forces managed to kill Chanbo Zhangya, who had been in charge of monks, and later Tubo King Chiribajun, Darma Wodongtsan, came to the throne. Darma…

Many of Tibet’s traditional customs and habits have been passed down through history. In this part of the world, Tibetan and solar calendars are in use. Funerals and weddings are arranged according to Tibetan customs. When one dies, lamas are invited to chant sutras to redeem the sins of the dead. Relatives of the deceased…