Captivating Tibetan Ornaments

When you stroll down the famous Barkhor street, your eyes will be drawn to the captivating Tibetan ornaments. There are variety of Tibetan ornaments, such as rings, bracelets, necklaces, made of red and yellow Tibetan coral, Tibetan carnelian, yak bones, Tibetan silver, Tibetan copper, turquoise and other natural elements. All the materials are unique to Tibet and bear magic of this holy land, which makes Tibetan ornaments seem naturally imbued with a mystical flavor.

Long-standing and unique Tibetan ornaments are featured by simple, unconstrained motif, diversified styles and patterns as well as brilliant colors and bold, wild designs instill high fashion. With little need for complicated craftsmanship, a wild, trendy bracelet or necklace can come into being simply and harmoniously by joining several natural stones, corals, and a yak-hide string. They are formed from ancient times under the influence of climate in the area, people's production activities and the religious culture.

The most common Tibetan ornaments are broad and delicately designed silver bracelets, peacock-blue yak-boned necklaces inlaid with turquoise, and dangling earrings made of red coral and Tibetan silver, etc. These ornaments, previously of a sort only seen adorning Tibetan women, now prevail in many large and medium-sized cities in China, having gained particular favor among students and working women seeking to express their individuality.
Tibetan ornaments present the special Tibetan crafting techniques, including enchasing, inlaying, and wire drawing. In a broader sense, Tibetan ornaments also include living and religious articles, such as snuff bottles, whose hollowed-out designs demonstrate the craftsmen's skills; prayer wheels, which can be found throughout Tibet; barrels to hold rice for offering before Buddha images; sea-snail-shaped ritual horns; and splendid-colored Thangka paintings. All these have become popular.

Compared with ornaments from other regions, the finer crafts of Tibet feature irregular shapes due to the natural quality of the materials, their splendid colors and rough, but unique handcraftsmanship. The designs mostly derive from religious beliefs and the lifestyle of the Tibetan people, the symbols convey special meaning and the deeply-hued Tibetan silver is a mysterious temptation. Genuine Tibetan silver products are handmade by Tibetan silversmiths and each is unique. The originality satisfies the modern spiritual desire of the wearer and their demand for particularity and individuality. And, largely due to the inexpensive prices, these objects are in chic.
Tibetan ornaments also convey unique Tibetan culture. Many of the Tibetan silver bracelets are carved with the six-syllable mantra ("Om Mani Padme Hum"), which in Tibetan Buddhism is believed to have the ability to eliminate disease, fear of death, prolong life and increase wealth. Some pendants are in the design of Vajra, which in Buddhism is a ritual instrument for subduing demons, believed to dispel all sins and bring people power, courage, and intelligence. Amulets are often silver or bronze small boxes inlaid with pearls or precious stones and are used to contain clay or metal images of Buddha, Tibetan pills, Buddhist paintings or photos of a living Buddha. Another example is Tibetan opals, which fall into 12 categories according to the number of cat's-eyes one contains, each representing a particular meaning. For example, a one-eye opal represents brightness and wisdom, and a two-eye opal represents harmonious marital relationship and happy family life.
Today, Tibetan ornaments are widely popular around China, even the world. They can be found at bustling districts in large cities, such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. However, the best place to buy Tibetan ornaments is still the Barkhor street in Lhasa, where is full of a strong flavor of Tibetan culture.

Prostration in Tibet

For Tibetan people, prostration is an important expression of their devotion to Tibetan Buddhism. Prostrating is practicing one of Buddhism's three Jewels for Tibetan Buddhists. Tibetan pilgrims prostrate themselves by lying face-down on the ground and stretching out their arms and legs so as to earn merit.

Tibetan pilgrims always perform prostrations before monasteries in Tibet and sacred images displayed on altars or when they enter and withdraw from a room. Some pilgrims from distant places in Tibet even prostrate themselves to their pilgrimage destination, like Lhasa and Mountain Kailash. They would spent several years making pilgrimages to Lhasa and other religious centers, covering the entire distance in a series of prostrations. Tibetan Buddhists also prostrate before their teachers. 

Tibetans ideally are expected to prostrate themselves 100,000 times a year, which works out to almost 300 times a day, every day of the year. Not only do they prostrate themselves around temples they also do it on roads, streets and sidewalks. Some pilgrims cover the entire 33-mile route around Mount Kailash or travel from their hometowns to Lhasa, repeatedly prostrating themselves.

How to perform prostration in Tibet

First, stand straight with your feet slightly spread and keep your toes pointing forward. Meanwhile, put the palms together, but leave a small open space in the center of the palms. Situate your hands at heart-level. And then raise your hands just above your head, touching the crown of your head. Then touch your hands to your brow, your throat and back to your heart.

Secondly, bend at the waist to the floor and make your arms parallel to the ground with the centers of your palms facing the earth. Place your hands at a place in front of you that will allow you to bend forward gracefully and allow you to raise up with ease.

Thirdly, allow your knees to touch the floor just after your hands and lie down on the ground. Form a straight line from your waist to your fingertips and keep face down.

Finally, touch the ground. The 5 points, hands, knees and head must touch the ground in that order. Some pilgrims put the palms together and lift them above the head.

As soon as your head touches the ground, raise up. Use your hands to push up from the floor quickly. Come to standing rest with hands returned to position before your breast.

Qinghai-Tibet railway is under fast extension

The world’s highest railway, Qinghai-Tibet railway is under fast extension from Lhasa, capital of Tibet Autonomous Region, to Shigatse, the second largest city of Tibet. The extension work is in full swing and will be completed by 2015, officials said Tuesday. 

As of the end of 2011, 3.4 billion yuan (538 million U.S. dollars) had been poured into the Lhasa-Shigatse railway, about a quarter of the total budget for the project, Tibet’s regional development and reform commission said in a statement.

The Lhasa-Shigatse railway, the first extension of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway that opened in July 2006, is one of the plateau region’s key construction projects during the 2011-2015 period.
Construction workers have finished laying 14.08 million cubic meters of roadbed, about 77 percent of the total, and built 40 percent of the tunnels along the road, said Jin Shixun, chief of the commission.
The 253-km new line will pass through five counties and the 90-km-long Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon. Construction began in September 2010, with a budget of 13.3 billion yuan (2.1 billion U.S. dollars).
It is designed to have a transport capacity of 8.3 million tonnes of freight annually and will allow trains to travel at a minimum speed of 120 km per hour.
With a history of more than 600 years, Shigatse is Tibet’s second-largest city and the traditional seat of the Panchen Lamas. Shigatse city is the administrative center of the Tibetan prefecture of the same name, which covers 182,000 square km bordering India, Nepal and Bhutan and includes Mt. Qomolangma (Mt. Everest).
Jin said the new rail link will play a vital role in boosting tourism and accelerating the transport of natural resources.
Tibet will start building another extension of the Qinghai-Tibet railway, from Lhasa to Nyingchi, in the next five years, according to the region’s plan for economic and social development in the 2011-2015 period.

Tibetan New Year 2012

Tibetan New Year 2012 is likely to fall on February 22, 2012 and will last two weeks. Tibetan New Year, also known as Losar in Tibetan language, is the most important festival in the Tibetan calendar 2012. Tibetan New Year offers the travelers a great opportunity of enjoy the annual festive occasion with local Tibetan People together. During the festival, Tibetan people celebrate by some ancient ceremonies which represent the struggle between good and evil. Lamas are chanting and passing fire torches through the crowds. People perform the dance of the deer and amusing battles between the king and his ministers, and so on, people are cheering for the coming new year by dancing, singing, and merrymaking.

The word Losar has been derived from two Tibetan words, ‘lo’ meaning ‘year’ and ‘sar’ meaning ‘new’. The Tibetan Buddhists observe the festival to ward off evil spirits and welcome the arrival of the New Year filled with happiness and prosperity. Though the Tibetan New Year is celebrated on the first day of the first month of the Tibetan lunar calendar, the date varies each year. The Tibetans follow the lunisolar calendar, which means that the date is indicative of the moon phase and the time of the solar year as well.
The Tibetan New Year is celebrated on the first day of the first month of the Tibet calendar. The date usually falls in the months of January, February or March according to the Gregorian calendar of Tibet. The celebrations of the Tibetan New Year begin on the 29th day of the twelfth month, that is, the day before the Tibetan New Year’s Eve. People get occupied with cleaning their homes and painting them new. The houses are adorned with different decorations and offerings are made known as ‘Lama Losar’. On the New Year’s Eve, a traditional noodle soup is made called guthuk. It contains dumplings made from flour and water. The dumplings are stuffed with each of nine different fortune symbols that determine the fortune of the person in the next year.

In 2012, the grand festival for Tibetans will fall on Feb. 22. On the New Year’s Day, people rise early and dress in their finest and new clothes. They make offerings to the household shrine to pay homage to the God. This day is restricted to the immediate family members only. On the second day, people move out and visit friends and relatives. They exchange greetings and wish one another ‘tashi delek’, which means ‘good luck’. In the evening, people lit torches and move around in their homes warding off evil spirits from their abodes. The third day is marked by visits to the monasteries, shrines and stupas. Clothes and food are donated to the monks and nuns. Back home, different traditional foods are made to celebrate the occasion.
Origin of Losar

Losar has been observed for over 1000 years. Before Buddhism came to Tibet, Tibetans would hold a grand spiritual ceremony to please the local spirits and deities. Step by step, most Tibetans have become followers of Tibetan Buddhism, and Losar has evolved into an annual Buddhism festival especially featuring dancing, chanting, religious practice and other entertainment activities.

Special Food for Celebrating Tibetan New Year

Every household will prepare Qie Ma, an assortment of glutinous rice cakes and stir-fried kernel placed in colorful wooden boxes. In the middle, colorful flowers and highland barley spikes are stuck as decorations. People will also soak highland barley seeds in a bowl of water so that it will grow small shoots during the New Year. Then it will be placed in front of the altar as an offering as part of prayers for a plentiful harvest.

When the New Year approaches, in addition to cooking barley wine, Tibetan women will also make Ka Sai, a kind of pastry stir fried with butter. There are popularly crafted into shapes such as ears, butterflies, slices, squares, and circles. The pastry is then dyed using natural colors and sprayed with granulated sugar. Ka Sai is not only a decoration for the New Year, but also snacks for guests.

Other Customs for Celebrating Tibetan New Year

Homes are painted, new clothes are stitched, debts and quarrels are resolved, intoxicants are drunk in the run-up to New Year’s Day. Homes are decorated with flour paintings of the sun and moon, and small lamps are illuminated in the houses at night.

The first few days of festivities are exclusively family affairs. Tibetan people usually visit their friends and relatives to give them best wishes. In the evening, everyone gathers together to chant, dance, and burn torches which they pass through the crowds to cast away evil spirits and pray for blessings. The city’s or village’s streets are generally very quite on these days.

Later, the festivities roll out onto the streets. In the following days, Tibetans go to the local monasteries, where they make offerings and celebrate the festival with Lamas.

Traditional ways of celebrating Losar have changed somewhat through time. For example, firework is a relatively recent addition to Losar, but have grown in popularity until today they are possibly Losar’s main attraction. These days, on the first day of Losar, good tidings ring out all across the country by means of the electronic media, and Losar celebrations are broadcast on television throughout the region.

King Gesar - Tibetan Epic

King Gesar is a heroic epic created by the Tibetans from a collection of ancient legends, myths, verses, proverbs and various other folk cultures of Tibet. Originating via folk oral traditions, King Gesar was passed down from generation to generation orally in a combination of song and narration for over 1,000 years.
The Tibetan epic was formed between around 200 BC or 300 BC and 600 AD. In the later years, some folk balladeers continued to pass on the story orally; this enriched the plots and embellished the languages. The story had gradually become near perfect and very popular in the early 12th Century. The epic began to be compiled mainly by the monks of Nyingmapa (Red Sect of Tibetan Buddhism) in about the 11th Century, and were mainly hand-written books.

So far, King Gesar has been collected in more than 120 volumes, with more than one million verses (over 20 million words) -- 25 times the length of the Western classic, Homer's Iliad. King Gesar, the greatest work of Tibetan literature, is easily the longest epic in the world, which has also appeared in ballads among the Mongols and Tus. The epic has been translated into languages of other brother nationalities of China as well as English, French, Russian, German, Indian and other foreign languages. It has now become a subject on study and is even discussed as a topic in the international seminar.
King Gesar of the Ling Kingdom was born in the 11th century as the son of the supreme god Indira. As a boy, he was very mischievous, but divine by nature and full of supernatural powers. His greatest enemy was his uncle -- a cowardly, vain and pretentious man who hoped to rule the country. Although the hero and his mother were banished, Gesar's exile enabled him to nurture his hidden strengths. He emerged victorious in a horse race to become king of the nation. King Gesar then began conquering the "kingdoms of demons" -- the Jiang and Hor (northern Mongolian people) kingdoms. The war between the Ling and Hor kingdoms constituted one of the central parts of the story. It began with a beautiful girl, Qomu, who was King Gesar's queen. The Hor king, also known as the "White Tent King," heard about her beauty and sent for her. When his request was refused, he sent troops to attack the Ling kingdom. After several battles, another girl was sent to the Hor king in the place of Qomu. But once the truth was uncovered, the battles resumed. The Ling capital, along with Queen Qomu, was finally captured by Hor troops. But King Gesar organized all his troops with the help of an important Hor general, captured the Hor capital, killed the White Tent King and rescued his queen.

In Tibetan-inhabited areas Gesar was known as the king of the ancient Tibetan kingdom of the Ling. The great hero and his brave army are kept alive in the rich, imaginative retellings of the epic. From early times, the epic was passed on orally. Today, a small number of inscribed woodblocks of the epic can be found in Lhasa, Xigaze and Dege County in Sichuan Province; a few handwritten copies are also dispersed among some families. The Potala Palace contains a statue of Gesar, which still attracts pilgrims on a daily basis. Gesar's deeds were recorded in the Kangba region more than anywhere else, and handwritten and printed versions of Gesar from Dege are considered the most authoritative works. People still argue that the village of Ngaxu in Northern Dege County was the birthplace of Gesar.
Gesar's image and story are immortalized in carvings, paintings, murals, woodcuts, embroideries, songs, dances and plays. Tibet has a research institute specializing in the study of the epic, whose research projects are listed as key State projects. Since 1979, the institute has collected more than 180 different song and narration versions of the epic, 55 woodblock and mimeographed editions and has recorded 70 performances of the epic on more than 3,000 recording tapes. Since liberation, China's related research institutes have been working on this monumental portion of world literature by gathering, sorting, collecting, studying and publishing the material on a large scale.
By the means of the integration of romanticism and realism, the epic tells the story how the hero, King Gesar, conquers all the devils and brings happiness to the people with his perseverance and magic strength. The epic also expresses the theme of the people's wish for justice and bliss. The background of the story spans from the three periods of ancient Tibet: Clanship in the late Prehistoric Times, the Slavery Period, and Serfdom in the Feudal Society. The epic is really an encyclopedia of the social and historical changes, relationships among classes and nationalities, ethnical cultures and customs of Tibet.

Top Unsolved 10 Mysteries of Tibet

Tibet at the roof of the world is an amazing land full of mysteries and inexplicable phenomena. Here we show the top ten unsolved mysteries of Tibet.

1. Savage Mystery
Tibet savage mystery, also listed as “the world’s four major mystery,” has always been lot of heated discussions. As early as 1784, China had Tibet Savage’s documented. The savage is said to inhabit the Himalayan region of Tibet and Nepal. Many expeditions have been organized to track down the elusive savage, but none have found more than savage footprints and questionable artifacts like scalps and hides. In recent years, people have continued to witness the Himalayan mountain activities and female savages snatched local men to marry and found a family. Already a number of eastern Tibet expedition in-depth study, but savage is still a mystery. So far there is no firm evidence to support the existence of the savage, but there is no way show that it doesn’t exist either. If it indeed lives in the barren, frozen, upper reaches of the Himalayas where few men dare to tread, he may find his refuge safe for a long time to come.

2. Terma Mystery
Terma is the re-excavated classics, hidden by Bon and Tibetan Buddhists when their religious beliefs in catastrophe. Terma includes possession of books, possession of sacred objects, and possession of knowledge.
The most magical part is the possession of knowledge. It refers to Terma buried deep in people’s consciousness. It is said that when a classic cannot be handed down in the event of a disaster, it granted by the gods of the depths of a person’s consciousness to avoid lost.
When condition allows, in some mysterious inspiration, the Buddhist scriptures can be written or recorded to the core, even by some illiterate farmers and herdsmen. This phenomenon is the mystery of Gterma (hidden Tibetan Buddhist scriptures).

3. Mystery of Mount Everest Flag Clouds
When the weather is pleasant, one can always sees milky white flag-shaped clouds on the top of Mount Everest. It is cloud. Prevailing winds from the west blow the cloud east like a billowing flag attached to the mountain. Ascending airflow caused by mountains creates the cloud. Blowing snow could also create the cloud.
Mount Everest flag cloud posture is multifarious, look like flag that flutter in the breeze sometimes, sometimes like great wave; Turn into the slender and graceful smoke sometimes. Because the change of the flag cloud can reflect the change that the high air flows, Mount Everest flag cloud is known as “the supreme vane in the world”.

4. Mystery of Red Snow
The surface of the Himalayas above 5,000 meters often dots with blood red spots and looks like red snow from afar. These red spots consist of Chlamydomonas nivalis, Chlorococcum infusionum, and other algae. In permanent ice and snow, the highland algae are widely distributed with strong cold resistance and would not die when temperature is 36 degrees below zero centigrade. The algae contain sanguine pigment in their bodies, so they are red in appearance.

5. Shambhala Mystery
Shambhala, also translated as “Shangri-La”, means “pure land” in Tibetan language. It is the myth of the Buddhist world and the birthplace of Kalachakra teachings. With regard to the existence of Shambhala, there has always been skeptical. And the Shambhala Buddhist scholars think that is a fictional paradise. Tibetan historical books recorded in great detail for the Shambhala. However, Shambhala, exists or not, is still a mystery.

6. Mystery of Rainbow Body
Rainbow Body is a mysterious phenomenon of Tibetan Buddhism. A lama who has acquired the highest forms of accomplishment can manifest what is called “the rainbow body” or “body of light”. It is said that the physical body of those who studied Buddhism very deeply will turn into a rainbow. The rainbow body is said to be the physical mastery state of Dzogchen of the Nyingmapa and the Bönpo where the trikaya (Nirmanakaya, Sambhogakaya and Dharmakaya) is in accord and the nirmanakaya is congruent with bodymind and the integrity of the mindstream to the heartmind) is realised as Dharmakaya. The corporeal body of the realised Dzogchenpa, which is now hallowed, returns to the primordial energetic essence of the Five Pure Lights of the five elemental processes through the Bardo of Mahasamadhi or Parinirvana. This is then projected as the mindstream through the process of phowa. The realiser of Jalus resides in the timeless, eternal space that is considered a mystery.
According to Dzogchen tradition, the attainment of the Rainbow Body is the sign of complete realisation of the Dzogchen view. As Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche (2002: p. 141) states: “The realised Dzogchen practitioner, no longer deluded by apparent substantiality or dualism such as mind and matter, releases the energy of the elements that compose the physical body at the time of death.”

7. Mystery of Shangshung Kingdom
The ancient Shangshung Kingdom created the earliest civilization of Tibet plateau. It not only invited its unique Shang Shung language, but also served as the birthplace of the Bon religion. The Shangshung Kingdom exerted profound influence on the culture of whole Tibet. However, its mysterious extinction has left many riddles that have not been solved through the ages.

8. Mystery of Guge Kingdom
In the mid-9th century, the Tubo Kingdom collapsed. The descendants established Guge Kingdom and created splendid civilization within 700 years. Later in 1630, Guge was overthrown by Ladakh. According to records, the slaughter and predation of the war is not enough to exterminate the Guge civilization. However, it just suddenly vanished like the ancient Mayan civilization.
Today, the ruins of the Guge Kingdom leave us some amazing architecture, ancient paintings, the mysterious Guge Silver Eye, and so on. But why Guge civilization vanished so suddenly and without a clue to trace is still a mystery.

9. Mystery of Storytellers of King Gesar
Life of King Gesar is a well-known Tibetan heroic epic and is the only living epic in the world today, which has all along been passed down mainly by folk artists orally. There are still more than 100 folk artists living in Tibet, Inner Mongolia and Qinghai provinces, and singing of the great achievement of the Tibetan hero King Gesar.
Among the many folk artists, those who can tell more than one version are claimed to be “divine artists”, which means they are inspired by God. Most of the storytellers said that they were summoned by God or King Gesar in a dream, and then they began singing uncontrollably. In Tibet, some illiterate teenagers can suddenly tell the epic of King Gesar with words more than one million. This incredible phenomenon is unsolved yet.

10. Mystery of Tibetan Shaman
As the host of Tibetan primitive religious worship, Tibetan shamans are said to have the ability to communicate with God and can talk with spirits. Tibetan shaman also enters supernatural realms or dimensions to obtain solutions to problems afflicting the community, to bring guidance to misguided souls and to heal illnesses of the human soul caused by foreign elements. They are intermediaries or messengers between the human world and the spirit worlds.
They perform a variety of functions in the social life of Tibetan people: fortune-telling, healing, leading a sacrifice, preserving the tradition by songs and storytelling, guide of souls, etc. However, as time passes, we still know little about shamans – their costumes, heritage, religious objects, spells, altars, witchcraft, divination, and so on.

The best time to travel to Everest Base Camp

The best time to travel to Everest Base Camp is Spring (April and May.) The mountain is virtually unclimbable in the Summer due to the deadly monsoon season. A small window of opportunity is also available in the fall after the monsoon passes and before the harsh Winter moves in.
The season for trekking the Everest Base Camp extends from mid- September to May. From early September when the monsoonal rains decrease. By end of September through to December the weather is usually stable with mild to warm days, cold nights. February, March, April, May, October, November, December are favorable to do Everest base camp trek.
The Mount Everest has an extreme climate. The summit temperature never rises above freezing or 32° F (0° C). Its summit temperatures in January average -33° F (-36° C) and can drop to -76° F (-60° C), and its average summit temperature in July is -2° F (-19° C). Weather in the mountains is notoriously difficult to predict. At night it is generally cooler, while the days are generally warm. Winter (January and February) will be bit colder but the days can be quite beautiful and warm if the sun is out. There will be bit of snow during the month of January, February and December. It is also important to make sure that you can stay warm and dry in just about any conditions. It is really unpredictable. The temperature could be as high as 20 ° C and as low as -15 ° C.
There are two Everest base camps on opposite sides of Mount Everest, namely South Everest Base Camp in Nepal and North Everest Base Camp in Tibet, southwest China. The latter one is located at an altitude of 5,545 metres (18,192 ft) and is used when climbing via the northeast ridge. The North Base Camp has vehicle access (at least in the summer months) through a 100km road branching to the South from the Friendship Highway near Shegar. Climbers typically rest at base camp for several days for acclimatization; to reduce the risks and severity of altitude sickness.
Since 2010, a visit to the North Base Camp in Tibet requires a permit from the Chinese government, on top of the Tibet entry permit required to visit Tibet itself. At this time such permits must be arranged via Tibet travel agencies as part of a package tour that include hiring a vehicle, driver and guide. The “tourists Base Camp” is located about half-way between Rongbuk Monastery and the actual climbers Base Camp at the foot of Rongbuk glacier.

Main Tibetan Festivals 2012

Deeply influenced by Tibetan Buddhism, Tibetan festivals either have strong religious aroma or they are completely religious. Throughout history, under the harsh natural environment and hard working conditions, the people living on the snowy land yearned for a better life through their own efforts, with the God’s mercy and with the Buddha’s protection. It is the festivals that offer opportunities for them to express their prayer to deities, Buddha and nature, during which they amuse the Gods and themselves as well.
There are more than 100 major or minor festivals throughout a year. As long as you stay in Tibet for half month in any season, you will certainly to come across a festival there, and you will be amazed by festal revelry of the Tibetan people. The followings are some major Tibetan traditional festivals.  LOSAR  FESTIVAL
Tibetan New Year is the traditional holidays for the Tibetan. It’s called Gyalpo Losar, in Tibetan which means “king’s new year”.
The establishment of the Tibetan New Year has close connections with the use of the Tibetan calendar. The formal use of the Tibetan calendar began in 1027A.D.
Tibetan traditional New Year is the greatest holiday in the year for the Tibetan. From the beginning of the 12 month of the Tibetan calendar, Tibetans begin to prepare special delicacies for the Tibetan New Year.
Drosu chemar means “cereals container”. And it is the thing which must need on the Tibetan New Year. In the container are foods, such as Tsampa with the yak butter and roasted wheat seeds. And also during that all the people will dress very clean. And then from the 1st day of the year till the 15th day all the people will enjoy the Tibetan New Year.
SAGA  DAWA  FESTIVAL
The 15th day of the forth month in the Tibetan calendar is celebrated as the anniversary of the lord of the Buddha’s birth day, enlightenment and the death. During that festival, the monks will hold religious activities and Buddhist will honor Buddha
And chant sutras. People circumambulate sacred place in the clock wise direction and pray to the Buddha.
ZAMLING  JISANG  FESTIVAL
In English it means “world happiness day”. People celebrate the festival in the parks, and at the western suburbs of the Lhasa from the 15th day to the 20th day of the fifth month in the Tibetan calendar. It also known as “world worship Buddha day” it says that every Buddha will descend to the world and assemble together. Especially early in the morning, and the people will go up on the mountains and there will burn the incent. After all, the people will go to having some picnic.
DRUK PA  TSESHI  FESTIVAL
It is also known as the “holly mountain festival”. It is the festival to celebrate the day Sakyamuni first preached a sermon with prayer wheel. On this day, people with food go to monasteries and temples to pay their homage to Buddha, to offer joss-sticks and to circumambulate holy mountains. then there will have some picnics. Relax and enjoy them self. They sing and dance in the fields. They do not go home until the sun set.
SHOTON  FESTIVAL
In English it means “yoghurt banquet”. It is the one of the traditional festival with a long history in the Tibet. Since the activities of the festival include Tibetan opera dancing, it is also known as “Tibetan opera festival”. The Tibetan people usually celebrate the festival at the end of the sixth month of the Tibetan calendar. During the festival. All the residents of the Lhasa go out and gather in the summer palace”Norbuling Kha” park. They will set up very beautiful tent in the park. They will bring a lots of the food and snacks. and also the professional and amateur Tibetan operas.    
KARMA  DOEPA  FESTIVAL
It’s the festival of the bathing. This festival is the traditional folk holiday of the Tibetan. This festival it is the seventh month of the Tibetan calendar. At this time, the raining season done and the day will be very sunny.
During that time men and women, old and young, carry tents, curtains, beverages and food and go out in the high spirit.
TA GYUK  FESTIVAL
In English it means horseracing festival. The horseracing festival is celebrated at the end of the seventh month or at the beginning of the eight month of the Tibetan calendar every year. Riders in the colorful ancient Tibetan customs and with bows and arrows are agile and brave. Horseracing called (DAMA) in Gyantse,
In history, the most famous horseracing was (DAM JINREN) in Dam Shong grass land. It had a similar form to the DAMA in Gyantse.
 ONG KOR  FESTIVAL
In English it means “looking around the field” either “ harvest festival”.
The festival has no fixed date. But it is usually celebrated when crops are ripe, and it lasts three to five days. During the festival, people walked around the fields with scriptures. Now it has gradually become a festival mainly concerned with arts, sports and entertainments.
LHAPUP DHOE CHEN FESTIVAL
In English it means “the Buddha’s descending festival” it is one of the major Tibetan Buddhist festivals. The legend tells that the 22nd day of the ninth month of the Tibetan calendar was the day when the 33 – year – old Buddha sakyamuni preached a sermon to his mother in Tushita heaven and then descended to the world. This day every monastery is open for the whole day.
PELE RETOI FESTIVAL
In English it means “fairy maiden festival”. And also other name for this festival is “PEL LHAMO PARADE FESTIVAL” every 15th day of the tenth month of the Tibetan calendar, monks carry the statue of the Pel Lhamo in her chapel of the jokhang temple and parade around Lhasa. During the festival, there are various activities to do with gods descending. Women are more active and they think of the festival as a holiday for Tibetan women.
In English it means “the remembrance of the master Tsong Kha Pa”. the festival will start at 25th day of the tenth month of the Tibetan calendar is the anniversary of the death of the master Tsong Khapa, the founder of Geluk pa sect. on this night of the day, countless butter lamps are lit on the roofs of every monastery and lay person’s house in order to commemorate Tsong Khapa. It is a religious service with illumination, and this is observed in every house.
GUTOK  FESTIVAL
In English it means “banishing the evil spirits festival”. The grand sorcerer’s dance is held in the Potala palace on the 29th day of the 12th day of the 12th month of the Tibetan calendar. Monastery in other places will hold similar activities, too. Monks with masks imitate demons and spirits, and walk around the jokhang temple. Singing and dancing, they fire shots and shout, to bid fare well to the outgoing year and to welcome the coming New Year. In the evening, each family eats “Thuk pa” together. People light lamps, burn joss-sticks and fired firecracker. The whole town is bright and it is very lively.
Noticeably, though with more identification than variation or distinction, the festivals mentioned above are not necessarily all celebrated in each place. It is the variation and the distinction that make the festivals splendid.

Tibet Travel Permit, a must for getting to Tibet

When travellers ask how to get to Tibet, they often get an answer that they can get to Tibet by train, by air or by overland, which leads some travellers to Tibet ignore a very very important document – Tibet travel permits.
Some tourists might think that a Chinese visa is enough to get to Tibet. No, foreign tourists who only hold Chinese visa are not allowed to get into Tibet. All foreigners going to Tibet must have their travel arranged through a travel agency before arriving in Lhasa. All foreigners must have travel permits, a tour guide and a private vehicle and driver (if you are only staying in Lhasa, no private vehicle is required). Absolutely no independent travel is allowed in Tibet. Any rumor you may have heard that foreigners can travel on their own in Tibet is not true.
You should contact a travel agency at least 3 or 4 weeks before you plan to arrive in Lhasa. This will give you enough time to finalize your travel plans and for the agency to apply for your travel permits. You will need to have a specific itinerary listed on your travel permit. Major changes to your itinerary will not be allowed after your permits have been issued. Travel agencies can arrange your permits for you in advance before you arrive in China to minimize the amount of time you have to wait.
Please keep in mind that there are generally four documents required for foreign touristswho want to travel freely in Tibet.- One is the Chinese Visa, which you can apply in the Chinese Embassy in your country (When you want to go to Tibet via the mainland of China).- One is Tibet Tourism Bureau Permit (TTB), also called Tibet Entry Permit, which you have to obtain in order to enter into Tibet by plane or train.- One is the Aliens’ Travel Permit (PSB), also called Travel Permit, when you are planning to travel to the ‘unopened’ areas of Tibet.- The other is the Military Permit, which you have to obtain if you are planning to travel to some military sensitive areas in Tibet.
Tibet Tourism Bureau (TTB) Permit (Tibet Entry Permit)
Tibet Tourism Bureau (TTB) Permit which is necessary for entering into Lhasa or any other parts of the Tibetan Autonomous Region, is obtained through tour operators. When you take a flight or train to Lhasa, you will be asked to show this permit during the process of check-in. Furthermore, TTB permits are also needed by groups traveling by Land Cruiser but this will be arranged by the travel agency organizing the trip.
Important Issues About Tibet Travel Permit1. After having a permit, a travel agency could buy air tickets for you, and you can pass the check-in at the airport and get on board of your plane.2. You are not allowed to bring along with the TTB permit to travel to anywhere outside of Lhasa city. If you want to go out of Lhasa area, you have to apply for another permit, Aliens’ Permit.3. Generally it needs three working days to get the TTB permit if you supply all the necessary documents in time.
Aliens’ Travel Permits (PSB)
Alliens’ Travel Permit is required to visit ‘unopened’ areas. Which is issued by the police (Public Security Bureau, “PSB”). Usually you can apply for it once you arrive at Lhasa. For tour groups, our guide will ask you for the passport and TTB permit and submit it to the Foreign Affairs Section of PSB for the Travel Permit. It normally takes several hours and the cost is 50 CNY/person. If you are an individual traveler, you need to join local tours to ‘unopened’ areas, and the local travel agencies will arrange the PSB for you as well. Pay attention, there is no travel agency can provide ’PSB permit-only’ service.
Notice: If you want to do a Tibet overland tour from Yunnan, Sichuan, Qinghai or Xinjiang province to Tibet, you must got the PSB permit before your tour starts.
Which parts of Tibet are listed as the closed areas?At present, you have to apply for a Travel Permit if you are planning to visit the following places:Tsedang: Samye Monastery, Tomb of Tibetan King, Trundruk Monastery, Yumbulakhang.Shigatse: Sakya Monastery, Mt. Everest, Rongbuk Monastery.Gyangtse: Pelkor Chode Monastery& Kubum Stupa.Ngari Region: Mt.Kailash, Lake Manasarovar, Tsaparang, Years, ect.Nyingchi Region: Basum-tso, Pomi, Rawo-tso, ect.Chamdo Region: Chamdo, Riwoche, Tengchen, ect.
Military Permit, Foreign-affairs permit and other permits
Sensitive border are as such as Mt Kailash and eastern Tibet also require a military permit and a foreign-affairs permit. For Tholing and Tsaparang in western Tibet you will also need a permit from the local Cultural Antiquities Department. All these will be arranged by our travel agency one month before you enter Tibet. The Military Permit is issued by troop while the Foreign-affair’s permit is issued by Foreign affairs office in Lhasa. It normally takes 10-15 working days to get them all.
How to apply for Tibet Travel Permits
You will need to scan and email your passport and Chinese visa to the travel agency you are using if you wish to have your permit processed before you arrive in China (you can also arrange a tour by walking into a travel agency, but you will have to wait several days for your tour and permits to be processed. Most people prefer to have it arranged in advance to minimize the waiting time). If you have a tourist (L) visa, no other documents are required to be sent to the travel agency. If you have a student (X) visa, you will need a letter from your school stating that you are an official student there in addition to your passport and Chinese visa. The letter must include your full name, passport number and nationality. If you have a business (F) visa, you will need a letter from your inviting company stating your full name, passport number, nationality and position with the company. If you have a work (Z) visa or residence permit, you will need a letter stating that you are an official employee of your company. Tibet Travel Permits normally take 3 to 5 days to be processed. The permit then is mailed to you at a hotel or emailed for you to print and use. If you plan on taking the flight to Lhasa, insist that the original is mailed to you as you could have a problem trying to board the plane with only a copy of the permit. People holding a journalist visa are normally not allowed to travel to the Tibet Autonomous Region.
Permits are almost always checked before taking the train to Lhasa and are always checked before boarding flights to Lhasa. Without a permit, you will not be allowed to board a flight or train to Lhasa. It will be extremely difficult to slip into Tibet without a permit and tour and it will be even harder to stay at a hotel without a permit. Foreigner approved hotels will need to see your permit and passport before you are allowed to stay in them.