Lhasa Festivals and Activities

Various Tibetan festivals are celebrated in different ways in Lhasa. If time is sufficient, it is suggested to visit Lhasa during the festivals and enjoy the lively scenes with the local Tibetan people. As the main minority inhabited in Lhasa, Tibetan people created brilliant culture and customs, among which the unique ethnic festivals of Tibetans enjoy high reputation and attract a crowd of tourists home and abroad. Here below are some festivals and activities in Lhasa worth to experience. 

Festivals in Lhasa

Besides some Chinese traditional festivals, like Spring Festival(usually in late Jan. or early Feb.; Jan 25, 2020) and Mid-Autumn Day(The fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month; September 13, 2019), Lhasa is rich in ethnic and religious festivals. 

Date Festivals Notes
1st Jan in Tibetan Calendar Tibetan New Year(藏历新年) Mon, Feb 24, 2020- Wed, Feb 26, 2020; Tibetan ethnic minority; Jokhang Temple
15th Jan in Tibetan Calendar Butter Lamp Festival(酥油花灯节) The last day of Monlam Prayer Festival
4th Jan in Tibetan Calendar Monlam Prayer Festival(传昭大法会) Religious festival in Tibet
1st-15th Apr in Tibetan Calendar Saga Dawa Festival(萨噶达娃节) The traditional festival of Tibetan Buddhism
30th Jun in Tibetan Calendar Shoton Festival(雪顿节) August 30- September 5, 2019; Tibetan ethnic minority
Early July in Tibetan Calendar Karma Dunba/Bathing Week of Tibetan(沐浴节) Tibetan ethnic minority
15th Oct in Tibetan Calendar Palden Lhamo Festival(仙女节) Women; Tibetan ethnic minority; Jokhang temple
25th Oct in Tibetan Calendar Ganden Nga-Choe(燃灯节) Lhasa Tibet
29th Dec in Tibetan Calendar Driving Off Evil Spirits of Tibetan(驱鬼节) Potala Palace in Lhasa; Tibetan ethnic minority

Activities in Lhasa

As a popular tourist destination, Lhasa offers various kinds of recreative activities. Visiting a Tibetan family, watching princess Wencheng drama and Shopping at Barkhor street, etc, you will experience the ethnic culture in Lhasa personally. 

Date Festival Notes
Every Day Tibetan Family Visiting  Learn Tibetan culture and taste Tibetan food
/ Kuozi Dance(廓孜) Folk dance in Quxu county; National intangible cultural heritage
Mainly during festival like Shoton Festival Xierongzhongzi(协荣仲孜) Folk dance in Quxu county; National intangible cultural heritage
Every day(21:30~23:00) Princess Wencheng Drama Large-scale outdoor live-action show
Every Day Thangka Painting Learn how to draw a Thangka painting; Barkhor street

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