A Traditional Festival in Tibet - Shoton Festival - By: Grace Fan

Shoton Festival, Xue Dun Jie in Chinese Pinyin, is the most important traditional festival in Tibet. Shoton Festival falls on the end of June and early July of Tibetan calendar, lasting for about a week. In Tibetan language, Xue means yoghurt and Dun has the meaning of drinking and eating so that Shoton Festival is the festival to eat yoghurt. On the eve of the Shonton Festival, Lhasa’s streets are suddenly filled with a boisterous atmosphere. Thousands of Buddhist devotees from all Tibetan come to Lhasa to worship and offer the yoghurt to lamas.

The traditional way of starting the Shonton Festival is to show Buddha paintings. The activities include Tibetan operas and gala parties, as well as wonderful yak racing and horsemanship performances. These activities usually are held in Norbu Lingka of the western suburb of Lhasa.

Originated at the middle of the 11th century, Shonton Festival was a religious event at that time. It was said that there were three hundred Buddhist percepts and killing living things were strictly prohibited. For preventing stamping on insect or small animals, the monks had to stay in temple from April to June of Tibetan Calendar. Up to the end of June, monks were permitted walking out of the temple. Commoners prepared monks yoghurt and Tibetan operas for showing their respect.

“Sunning of the Buddha” as the opening ceremony of the festival is the most popular. At 8 o’clock, the Sakyamuni painting which is 500 square meters in size and made of colorful silk unfolds at the hillside behind Drepung Temple. Tibet Opera is another highlight which begins on the second day of the festival. The performance of the opera in the Norbu Linka, formerly the Dalai Lama’s summer resort, starts at 11 o’clock and ends before the coming of the night. During the period of the festival, numerous tents are put up for watching the performance in Norbu Linka.

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Grace Fan and her colleagues are dedicated to providing detailed information and full range of China tour service including China city tours package, group China tours, private China tours, reservation of flights and hotels and so on.

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