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Tibet Festivals

Tibetan culture was developed in Tibet, largely isolated from the rest of the world. Their festivals are calculated based on their own Tibetan calendar, which lags four to six weeks behind Gregorian calendar. Endless festivals happen throughout the year, though the months of February, July and September concentrate the most. See Our Festival Tours, or simply let's customize a tour for you.

Featured Tibet Festivals

Tibet Shoton Festival

Lhasa, Aug. 29, 2011

The Shoton Festival is one of the most popular traditional festivals in Tibet. It celebrates eating yogurt, the Tibetan monks who end their season of meditation, the watching of Tibetan dramatic operas, and Tibetan Buddhism. It is held annually in the month of August, or late in the sixth month or early in the seventh month of the Tibetan calendar. The festival is a great occasion for both Tibetans and tourists.

Tibet New Year Festival

Lhasa, Feb. 22 to Mar. 8, 2012

Tibet New Year Festival is celebrated by Tibetan people. It is marked with ancient ceremonies that represents the struggle between good and evil, by chanting, and by passing fire torches through the crowds. A certain amount of levity is provided by events such as the dance of the deer and the amusing battles between the King and his various ministers. Losar Festival is characterized especially by dancing, music, and a general spirit of merrymaking. . See our Tibetan New Year Festival Tour

Nagqu Horse Racing Festival

Nagqu, Aug. 10, 2011

The Nagqu Horse Racing Festival is the grandest annual event in northern China's Nagqu Prefecture, the largest prefecture in Tibet Autonomous Region, aka Tibet, and indeed, the grandest annual event in all of northern Tibet. August is the golden season on the vast grasslands of Nagqu Prefecture, and the time when the grass is tallest and the weather is most accommodating to those who enjoy the great outdoors.

Tibetan Butter Lamp Festival (Choe-nga Choepa)

Lhasa, Mar.2012

This delicious-sounding festival involves lighting butter lamps (lamps made of butter) and displaying butter sculptures in order to commemorate Shakyamuni Buddha's great debating victory over his opponents about 2,500 years ago in India.

Ganden Thangka Festival

Lhasa, Aug. 13, 2011

The Ganden Thangka Festival is an important festival at the old Ganden Monastery that was the leading monastery of the Geluk tradition of Tibet. Every year, thousands of people circle the monastery ruins, enter inside to view the Buddhas, pray, and get blessed, and then they go outside to sit on the hill or try to get close to the wall where the big and vividly woven thangka is displayed. .

Monlam Prayer Festival

Nov. 25 to Dec. 5, 2011

During the Monlam Festival, Buddhists pray and commemorate the miracles Buddha did about 2,500 years ago in India. To see a spectacle, visit the temples and see the Buddhists worship during the Monlam Festival that starts on March 8 in 2011 and February 12 in 2012 and lasts about 11 days..

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Hi, I'm Ruru Zhou
I updated this article on March 6, 2013
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