Architectural Style

Castle-like house is the most representative one in tibet tour. They are often stone-wood structure of primitive simplicity, looking dignified and stable. Even the walls built closely next to hillside remain vertical for stability. Such kind of houses is usually two to three stories high with circular corridor built inside.

In the pasturing area, people usually live in a yak hair tent. The tent is usually square-shaped supported by eight upright pillars. Made of yak hair, the tent is durable enough against wind and snowstorm. Meanwhile it is convenient to be dismantled, put up and removed, suitable for the herdsman's life.

In whatever type of houses, there are always altar tables for worshiping Buddha. This represents Tibetans’ piety to their religion.

Costumes

Tibetan people have very characteristic clothes. Generally speaking, they wear short upper garment made of silk or cloth with long sleeves inside, wide and loose robe outside and long boots of cattle hide. For the convenience of work or labor, they usually expose their right shoulder or both arms by tying the pair of sleeves around their waist. Both man and woman have pigtails, but man always coils up the pigtails over the head while woman combs the hair either into two or many small pigtails flooding down onto the shoulder, at the end of which some beautiful ornaments are tied. Woman prefers to wear an apron with beautiful patterns.

Tibetans deem Hada as the most precious gift. Hada is a strip of snow-white scarf made of yarn or silk. It symbolizes goodwill and respect, and can be present at various occasions of festivity, arrival and departure of guests, etc. However, there is a kind of Hada with five colors on, blue, white, yellow, green and red, respectively indicating sky, cloud, land, river and the God in charge of Buddha dharma. Five-colored Hada is very valued gift and can only be presented in the grandest occasions, such as Buddhist activities.

Customs

Presenting hada is a kind of very common courtesy in Tibet. Presenting hada is to show purity, loyalty, faithfulness and respect to the receivers. Even when people correspond with each other, they won't forget Hada. They always enclose a mini Hada in the letter for greeting and expressing good wishes. What's more interesting is that when Tibetans go out they tend to take several Hadas with them in case that they may give them to friends and relatives they encounter in the Trekking Tour.

Buddhist believers must recite or chant Buddhism scriptures very often. For illiterate people, what they can do is to turn prayer wheels, with scriptures inside. Turning the prayer wheel is equivalent to chanting some scriptures and it has become routine work for Tibetan people.

Festivals

The most important festival in Tibet is the Tibetan New Year, on January 1 of the Tibetan calendar. It is for saying bidding farewell to the past year and welcoming the new. From mid December, people will start to prepare and do festival shopping. After cleaning and decorating the house, presenting sacrifices on the altar, families will dine together. Fireworks and torches are lit to scare off the evil spirits and bad luck. They will also walk along a road till they reach an intersection, which they believe can abandon the evil spirits and bring good luck for the coming year. On the first day of the New Year, people will wear their best clothes, and greet their neighbors and relatives with best wishes, and propose a toast with barley wine. There is an interesting competition on this day, for water. A young man from each family will try to get the first bucket of water from the river or well. According to Tibetan traditions, in the New Year, the first bucket of water is gold water, the second bucket silver water, and they will bring good luck, felicity and fortune to people who get them.

Shoton Festival is the liveliest festival in summer. Shoton, meaning Yogurt Banquet in Tibetan language, was originated at Drepung Monastery as a celebration of the end of lamas’ month long retreat. In the past, lamas locked themselves away to devote entirely to Buddhism for a month during summer. When the period was over, lamas were greeted and welcomes by locals with yogurts and performances. Shoton Festival falls on July 1 on the Tibetan calendar, and lasts for 5 days. During the festival, people in Lhasa will go out and gather at Norbulingka. They bring food such as dairy products and yak butter tea, set up tents and have picnics there. Tibetan opera troupes gather to give performances there, so Shoton Festival also gained another name, Tibetan Opera Festival.

10 Ways to Stay Healthy on a Bike Tour

We know what you're thinking -- how can you NOT be healthy on a bike tour?

Yes, you are probably getting the most exercise your body has ever seen and having a great time experiencing the great outdoors, but you are also putting your body through some new and sometimes extreme conditions.

On our tour across the country we found our health in some compromising situations due to things like intense weather or lack of healthy food options. We weren't prepared, and learned our lesson the hard way. So here are a few simple steps that we recommend taking to stay healthy on the trail.

1. Train First!

Start training before your tour begins. The more fit you are, the less likely you'll sustain an early injury. Also, get comfortable with your saddle. Saddle sores suck, so make sure you put some miles on that saddle to make sure your booty is a-ok!

2. Drink Water!

Drink water. Drink LOTS of water. Drink before you're thirsty, and drink like it's going out of style. We carried two water bottles and a hydration pack each and could have carried more. In certain areas, you will face long stretches between services, so plan accordingly. Bring enough water to last you through those areas, and then bring an extra bottle for backup on top of that. Another great tool to add to your gear list is a water filter or UV light. These little guys can turn a sticky situation into an abundance of fresh water for you to drink!

3. Eat healthy calories, not empty ones.

You are burning around 6,000 calories a day while on tour, so you're going to want to eat everything in sight (like nine pound ice cream sundaes). You deserve it right?

Of course you do! But try to limit those indulgences, and don't depend on them for fuel that will last (you'll realize this when you're already hungry after your first hill). Those chips, pizza, and ice cream snacks don't give your body the healthy fuel it needs to battle those grueling climbs. Instead, eat whole foods that are high in fiber. Stick to whole grains and pastas, and don't forget about those fruits and veggies! When you're touring healthy food can be hard to find, and we struggled to find healthy options through certain parts of our tour (I'm talking to you, midwest!). We quickly learned to stock up whenever we stumbled upon a heath food store or farmer's market. Some of our favorite foods were:

Peanut Butter - duh

Bananas - good for keeping those cramps away

Nuts - healthy protein and fats

Quinoa and lentils - good fiber, carbs and omegas!

Dark chocolate - how can you go without chocolate?

Dehydrated veggies - good for soups if you're camping

Energy bars - good for a boost if you're tired (avoid bars that contain refined sugar though!)

Coconut oil - good for cooking, good for the skin after sun or wind exposure and fits nicely in your water bottle cage, if you have an extra one to spare.

4. Plan around extreme weather.

It can get really hot out there, especially if you're walking holidays in the south during the summer. And if you're slow like we were, it can get really cold in the mountains during the fall. That being said, plan to bike in the early mornings before that afternoon heat rolls in. Then take a long cool break inside or under shade and, if you have the energy, put in a few more hours of biking in the evening. In colder temperatures the days are shorter, so your biking window is much smaller. Start and end your days with what little sun and warmth you have. You'll stay warm as long as you're moving, but once you stop you want to make sure you've stopped for good, because it is HARD to get back out on the road after taking a break and cooling down! Remember that the best thing to regulate your body temperature is high-quality clothing that keeps you dry in the rain, cool in the heat, and warm in the cold. Pack accordingly.

5. Clean Yourself.

You may not always have access to a shower, but that doesn't mean you can't stay clean. Water spigots, streams, rivers, rain, and your own hydration pack (if you have one) can all be utilized to wipe away dirt, grime, and the sadness of the long, lonely road. You can also use a garden hose from a church (as long as they give you permission), or a sink in a community center!

6. Prepare for altitude sickness.

If you are climbing up to 7,000 ft or more, you could experience some changes in your body. Things like shortness of breath, fatigue, nausea and migraines are all common symptoms. Usually these are temporary, however, and your body will adjust in a couple of days. If the symptoms get worse, then it might be a good idea to seek medical attention. Some simple preparations you can take to prevent altitude sickness are to limit your activity for a few days to get used to the altitude, stay away from caffeine and alcohol, get plenty of rest, and drink lots of water. Note that cooking can take twice as long at higher altitudes. Oh, and you'll fart a lot more, too.

7. Rest before you get tired.

Getting a good night's sleep when touring can make or break your day. Also, be sure to take long breaks during the day. You're putting a lot of strain on your body, so it's good to give it a break every now and then!

8. Bring a first aid kit.

Injuries can happen anytime, even when you're doing some simple adventure cycling maintenance. Gauze, bandages, and alcohol swabs are great things to bring with you, because trust us, you're going to get a few bumps and bruises. Also, we didn't really use chammy butter, but other cyclists swear by it. It's good for preventing saddle sores (hopefully you don't get them), and keeps your nether regions lubed up quite nicely.

9. Stretch.

Stretching feels good. It limbers you up, releases endorphins (no, that's not an ocean creature), and prevents injury/soreness. Take a few minutes in the morning and the evening to do some easy stretches, and keep those legs loose! And yes, reaching forward really hard for the remote control in your hotel room can be considered a stretch if you want.

10. Carpe Diem.

Sieze the day! Think positive thoughts. A long tour can be both physically and mentally tough. Instead of thinking about how many miles you've got until the finish line, give yourself daily goals, or no goals at all. Just enjoy yourself and the present moment. It's not about the mileage you're doing or how fast you're going. It's about enjoying yourself and doing something that very few people do in their lifetime. Literally stopping to smell the roses can cheer you up and keep you motivated to get going! You'll make it!

Nagqu Horse Racing Festival

The Nagqu Horse Racing Festival is the grandest annual event in westhern 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. Well in advance of the festival, Tibetan herdsmen and their families begin to trickle into the seat of the prefecture – also called Nagqu – from various parts of Tibet. They arrive on horseback still, bringing with them the tents and the furnishings which will provide them a 'home away from home' for the duration of the festival. As time passes, the trickle becomes a steady stream, the stream eventually a flood.

Once the tent is raised, life begins to take on the resemblance of normality, albeit, tinged with the excitement of the gathering of so many landsmen and the anticipation of the upcoming competitions. In the evening, the scene becomes almost picture-postcard idyllic, with the rays of the setting sun casting long shadows from the tents and lighting up the undulating waves of the sea of grass, smoke rises from the chimney-holes of tents as supper is made, children are playing beside flocks of sheep that are huddled closely together for the sake of safety, and horses can be seen drinking from the lake in the distance, or grazing on the tender shoots of dew-moistened grass nearby. Older boys and girls take advantage of the social gathering to meet and flirt, dancing the Tibetan Guoxie ("Village") dance.

Dancing in Tibetan culture is a strange mix of the mystical and the joyous. Dancing is almost invariably combined with singing, and, as with the Guoxie dance, sometimes with the stamping of the foot to keep the beat. There are a couple of famous Tibetan sayings regarding song and dance: "Tibetans who can walk can also dance", and "Tibetans who can talk can also sing." Apparently most Tibetans are good at both walking and talking...

On the day of the opening ceremony, the people of the village of Nagqu and those from neighboring villages pour into the festival grounds from all four directions as the excitement heightens. Flagpoles are staked out to mark boundaries, their colorful flags fluttering against the vast blue sky. Then the horseback events begin, some involving sprints, some involving special riding skills such as concealing oneself on one side of the horse, leaning toward the ground to plant a spear or to pull up a flagpole, etc., and some involving bow and arrow feats while on horseback. There are also wrestling matches – which always attract large crowds – and there is of course lots of dancing, and as the day winds down, plenty of eating, drinking and merrymaking.

After the day of the opening ceremony, a number of more organized, longer-duration events take place. These include horse races, yak races, tugs of war, the Tibetan equivalent of a weight-lifting tournament (i.e., lifting and carrying mini-boulders of increasing size and weight), and, again as the day wears down, eating and drinking as well as dancing and singing performances, or the staging of Tibetan operas.

These various activities take place over the space of up to 7 days, but not less than 3 days, depending on the number of participants (the greater number of participants the longer it takes to hold each event). To any given event – except perhaps for dancing and dining, in which all participate – some will participate while others will enjoy it from a distance, i.e., as spectators.

The horse racing festival will be held around August, but the date is not fixed. So please contact us to check the exact date before your tour planning. And during the festival, hotels are usually hard to book. 

How to Mountain Bike Tour

Bikes

It all starts, naturally, with a mountain bike. Touring and cyclocross bikes work fine for rail-trail riding and less-rugged dirt roads, but if you anticipate getting into the rough stuff — rocks, washboard roads, trails — you’ll be less abused, i.e. happier, on a true mountain bike. In the same vein, a front shock (i.e. a suspension fork) is highly recommended on anything but the shortest road trips. Your hands, wrists, shoulders, neck, and spinal cord will thank you.

The big question for many is rear suspension, yay or nay? The answer: not necessary, but definitely more comfortable. Suspension technology has now evolved to the point where even less expensive bikes have dependable, efficient rear shocks. A fully suspended bike makes riding washboard roads (the ultimate nemesis of mountain bikers everywhere, rivaled on the Pure Evilness Scale only by deep sand) infinitely less dispiriting and also helps traction and control on rough climbs and descents. The downside is that, compared to bikes without rear suspension, they are heavier and have more complicated things that need maintenance and can break.

In general, if you know you’ll be encountering consistently rough surfaces, I’d recommend full-suspension if you have it or can afford it. It’s certainly not essential, just nice. For trips in less developed countries, stick with a hardtail, which has less stuff to break.

Another big choice is your frame material. There are no pat answers, but here are some guidelines. For riding in the U.S. and Canada, any frame of reasonable quality is fine (read: no Wal-Mart bikes). If you’re on a hardtail, then make it steel or titanium if you can. Aluminum is stiffer and transmits virtually all of the bumps and chatter directly to your body. For rides in less developed countries, there’s not much to debate: go steel. It’s tough, durable, and if broken it can be repaired by village welders everywhere.

29-inch wheels are increasingly popular on mountain bikes and their large, stable size makes them a great choice for dirt roads — think Great Divide Route — but for technical singletrack or rough riding with loaded panniers, the added strength and maneuverability of a 26-inch wheel is a better option.

Gear Carriers

There are three good options for carrying your stuff: panniers, trailer, or going ultralight. Trailers, specifically BOB trailers, have become the go-to choice for most mountain bikers and with good reason. They’re simple, strong, and relatively easy to use. They keep the weight off your bike, don’t require racks, and handle amazingly well, even on rough, rocky ground. Their narrow profile and single-wheel design works well on narrow trails. You can’t go wrong with a BOB trailer.

Some people, though, still prefer racks and panniers, and they certainly can work too. You’ll need extra-strong wheels if you use panniers for mountain biking, but it’s worth it for riders who prefer the feeling of having a more compact bike under them. It’s easier to transport your bike overseas and in foreign countries with panniers. Portaging across rivers, blowdown, and other unrideable stretches is also easier with panniers than a trailer. Many mountain bike frames (inexplicably) don’t come with rack-mounting eyelets, but Old Man Mountain makes excellent racks that can mount on virtually any mountain bike. Panniers work great for mellow dirt road riding, but for more rugged riding most people find that a BOB trailer is more durable and handles better.

A final option, and really the only choice for multi-day riding on technical singletrack, is to go ultralight. Utralight mountain bikers have no need for a trailer or panniers, both of which are too heavy and cumbersome for tough trail riding. They bring minimal gear, make it as light as possible, and aim for a base gear weight at or below 15 pounds. While it’s a new, evolving riding style, the most common technique is to strap a waterproof compression sack with sleeping bag, clothes, shelter, and some food to an Old Man Mountain rear rack, with any remaining gear carried in a backpack.

Going ultralight is an elegant, efficient, and flat-out fun way to ride — no matter what style of touring you choose. For veteran mountain bikers in particular it has opened up a new world of potential, the proverbial “next level” of backcountry velo-adventure, much like the mountain bike did for cycling as a whole almost three decades ago.

Important note: Some people — especially, for unknown reasons, in the United Kingdom — choose to mountain bike without trailers or racks but with whale-sized backpacks. While this may be possible, we and your important and delicate nether-regions advise against it.

Other Gear Considerations

Like full-suspension, disc brakes are nice but not necessary. They’re a poor choice for less developed countries, but are worth a look for domestic riding, especially for wet, steep, or technical riding. Stick with mechanical disc brakes, which are lighter and simpler than hydraulic ones.

If you ride a hardtail, consider a suspension seatpost. They can make a big difference over the course of a multi-day ride.

Leave the ultra-stiff cycling shoes at home and look for a pair that has some flex in the toe for greater comfort and ease of walking. A good mountain bike tour always has some walking.

If you know you’ll face monster climbs, make sure you’ve got low, low climbing gears. The added weight of your gear can make tough climbing a lot tougher. A 20- or 22-tooth small chainring can make everything better. Lastly, many mountain bikers wear baggy shorts, which, besides not mortifying the residents of rural towns, have other advantages over lycra — like cargo pockets (not to be underestimated for their usefulness), increased abrasion resistance in crashes, and the fact that they’re, well, not Lycra.

Skills You Need to Have

Mountain biking requires greater upper-body strength than road riding, as well as greater adventure cycling handling skills. That said, if you can ride a bike there’s no reason why you can’t head out on a nice, long dirt road tour and have a great time with undertaking weightlifting regimens or skills seminars.

Assuming you’re camping, you’ll want basic skills for that, which aren’t very complicated and can be found in other articles.

You will need map-reading skills for finding your way out there. Of course this is half the fun — finding your way through unfamiliar country.

By it’s nature, mountain bike touring does bring you farther away from civilization. That is perhaps its greatest appeal and it also means you’re reliant on yourself and your riding partners to get you out of any trouble. Bring a first-aid kit, choose your route carefully, and tell other people where you’re going.

Stuff to Bring

Besides the standard packing list recommendations you’ll find on Adventure Cycling’s website, the multi-day mountain bike rider will also want these things:

• extra cotter pins for your BOB trailer
• spare spokes
• extra derailleur hanger if your frame has replaceable ones
• a first-aid kit with extra supplies for abrasions and grit removal
• tire boot (in a pinch, dollar bills work too)

Saga Dawa Festival

The Saga Dawa Festival honors the life of Buddha. According to their tradition, when Buddha was dying, he instructed one of his followers not to honor him merely with flowers, incense and lights after he died but by striving to follow his teachings about living a noble life and being kind and compassionate. He urged people not to weep about his death but to remember that all compound objects like the human body must eventually disintegrate. In various Buddhist countries, people celebrate the holiday in different ways and on different days. In China, non-Tibetan Buddhists will celebrate the holiday on May 10. In Tibet, the people celebrate the festival on June 15and June 4, and the main activities involve going to temples, raising a tall prayer pole called the Tarboche Prayer Flagpole, and lighting a lot of butter lamps for the occasion.

Each year on this day near a place called Kailash Kora, the old prayer flagpole is taken down and the new one is put up. The prayer flagpole is a tall pole from which are hung hundreds if not thousands of multicolored prayer flags. Each prayer flag represents a prayer that someone wants fulfilled. The flags are let to fly in the air so as to increase the potential for answering. There is a tradition that if the pole is not set well upright, it means that Tibet is in trouble. So it is thought to be very important to set the pole up accurately, and only the best pole setter-upper is allowed to perform the duty. People are relieved and joyous if it is set up accurately. Adding to the spectacle of the Tibetans  worshiping, the scenery in the area is ruggedly beautiful with rocky cliffs and high snow-capped mountain peaks.

Along with remembering Buddha and his activities, the main point of the festival is to pray. It is said by many that the goal of the festival season is to pray for the long life of all the holy gurus of all traditions, for the survival and spreading of Buddha’s teachings in the minds of all sentient beings, and for world peace. Tibetan Buddhists go to monasteries and temples to pray during the Saga Dawa Festival. One place in Lhasa where crowds of Tibetans gather to pray is the Potala Palace. Hundreds of people lie down or stand to pray in front of it. People also go to a park near the Potala Palace that is called Dzongyab Lukhang Park for a large-scale outdoor picnic in the late afternoon.

In the temples, people will light more butter lamps. Butter lamps are simply clarified yak butter or vegetable oil in a bowl with a wick. The lamps produce a smokey light. In Tibetan Buddhist tradition, a lot of lights together are conducive for meditation and focusing the mind. According to the Root Tantra of Chakrasamvara, "If you wish for sublime realization, offer hundreds of lights.” So on special holiday, people and monks at the temples light thousands of lamps. For many, the Saga Dawa Festival marks the beginning of a holy month.

History

The Saga Dawa Festival is an ancient festival that is celebrated by people in different countries in differing ways. Tibetan Buddhists try to do what the Buddha said and give alms and pray. It is thought that praying and alms giving and doing acts of benevolence during Saga Dawa and in the holy month after this multiplies the merited return to the giver far more than on regular days. During the month, many Tibetans also refrain from killing animals. Tibetans think of it as Buddha’s birthday, but they also celebrate his achieving of enlightenment and his death on the day.

Many Buddhists around the world call the day Vesakha or Vesak from the Sanskrit name Vaisakha. The First Conference of the World Fellowship of Buddhists resolved in 1950 to urge that the day of the full moon in the lunar month be a day to honor Buddha. Though the holiday is still celebrated on different days around the world, it is considered by many to be the most important Buddhist festival day.

Tibetan Minority

General Information

Tibetans mainly live in Tibet Autonomous Region in southeast China.

With a population of more than 5 million, Tibetan nationality mainly live in Tibet Autonomous Region in southeast China, and neighboring provinces of Qinghai, Gansu, Sichuan and Yunnan. Tibetan people have their own spoken and written language. Tibetan language belongs to Cambodian branch, Sino-Tibetan language system.

Tibetan areas are rich in natural resources, and Tibetan people mainly live on farming and stock raising. Most Tibetans are devout Buddhists, and observe Tibetan Buddhism. Lamaseries spread all over Tibetan areas, and exhibit the rich culture and superb construction skill of Tibetans. The Potala Palace on Mt. Hongshan (Marpo Ri) in lhasa tibet, is the palace complex with the highest altitude in the world. It is well known for construction style, religion, frescos, sculpture art, and precious cultural relics.

History

In ancient times the ancestors of the present Tibetans lived along the Yaluzangbu (Brahmaputra) River. In the 6th century the chieftain of the Yarlung tribe conquered several nearby tribes to become king. He was known as Zanpu (king), and established the Po dynasty. In the early 7th century Songtsen Gampo (his grandson) unified the whole of Tibet and shifted the capital to Lhasa. This is known to Chinese history as the Tupo kingdom. In 641, Songtsen Gampo married Princess Wencheng, of the Tang Dynasty (618 – 907 AD), and was granted the title of "the King of China's west". In 710, Xidezuzan (a king of Tibet) married Princess Jincheng of Tang Dynasty. The contacts between Tibet and central China had a strong influence on Tibetan society in the fields of politics, economics, and culture. In 1934 the Government of the Republic of China set up a resident agency to administer affairs in Tibet, and in 1965, Tibet Autonomous Region was established.

Eating Habits

Tsampa, yak butter tea and Tibetan barley wine are the staple food for Tibetan people. People also like dairy products and air-dried beef and mutton. Tibetans eat Tsampa in almost every meal. Tsampa is roasted barley flour mixed with yak butter tea or Tibetan barley wine. Tibetans usually mix the food with fingers of the right hand, and knead it into small lumps before eating.

Yak butter tea is made of boiled tea leaves, salt and yak butter. All are mixed together and vigorously churned in a wooden cylinder till well blended. Yak butter tea is warm and nutritious, and Tibetans drink it throughout the whole day. Tibetan barley wine is a very popular alcohol in among the tibet travel. This mild alcohol is brewed from locally-grown barley, and tastes sweet and sour.

Monlam Prayer Festival

The festival starts on the fourth day of the Tibetan calender and ends of the fifteenth day that is the day called the Butter Lamp Festival (Choe-nga Choepa) that is the greatest and last day of the Monlam Festival. So one long festival season that lasts for fifteen days starts on the 1st day of the Tibetan year that is the Tibetan New YearFestival called Losar and ends on the 15th day on the night of the full moon called the Butter Lamp Festival. 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.

The goal of the entire Monlam Festival season is to remember Buddha and his activities and to pray. So if you go to Tibet during that time, you can see Buddhists go to the monasteries and temples to pray during the Monlam season. It is said by many that the goal of the festival season is to pray for the long life of all the holy gurus of all traditions, for the survival and spreading of Buddha’s teachings in the minds of all sentient beings, and for world peace.

In the temples, people will light more butter lamps. Butter lamps are simply clarified yak butter or vegetable oil in a bowl with a wick. The lamps produce a smokey light. In Tibetan Buddhist tradition, a lot of lights together are conducive for meditation and focusing the mind. According to the Root Tantra of Chakrasamvara, "If you wish for sublime realization, offer hundreds of lights.” So on special holidays, people and monks at the temples light thousands of lamps. On the last day of the Monlam festival called the Butter Lamp Festival, people put many more up and even put them on scaffolds that are several stories high.

During the festival, Tibetans listen to teachings and donate to the monasteries, monks and Buddhist nuns. They also engage in making merry. A good place to see this happen is on Barkhor Street in Lhasa where the traditional buildings still stand and where the most important Tibetan Buddhist temple called Jokhang Temple stands. During the Butter Lamp festival on the night of the full moon, Tibetans traditionally stay out and make merry and sing until dawn, and thousands of Butter Lamps burn filling the air with their smoke.

History

The festival was begun by Tsong Khapa who was the founder of the Geluk tradition of Tibetan Buddhism to which the Dalai Lama and the largest part of Tibetan Buddhists belong. Tsong Khapa also began the Butter Lamp Festival. Originally, thousands of monks from the main Gelugpa monastaries of this tradition of Drepung, Sera and Ganden gathered together for chanting prayers and performing religious rituals at the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa that is considered the most sacred Tibetan Buddhist shrine. The Jokhang Temple was built in 647 by a famous and powerful emperor named Songtsen Gampo in 647. Songtsen Gampo led the first big Tibetan Empire. Now the Jokhang Temple is on Barkhor Street where you can see traditional Tibetan buildings and watch the ceremonies, rituals, and festivities of the Tibetan New Year holiday season.

Nowadays, the rituals and ceremonies are not as grand as those of pre-modern times. Far fewer monks gather at Jokhang Temple. Though there are still Butter Lamp butter sculptures and butter lamps, one of the high points of festival days for Tibetan Buddhist monks which was the examinations of monks and the questioning of the leading monk before the Dalai Lama doesn't happen now. The Dalai Lama lives in India where a Monlam Festival has started in the new Tibetan Buddhist temples there. The questioning before the Dalai Lama happens there. It used to be that the big butter sculptures were actually big sacrificial cakes that were publicly burned as sacrifice in Barkhor Square. But people still lie down and stand to pray before the Jokhang Temple and dance and sing on the last day of the festival in Barkhor street.