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Horse Racing Festival
On May 5 of the lunar calendar, the Tibetans in the Zhongdian Autonomous County, which now has been called "Shangri-La", hold a pageant horse racing competition, which is considered as the most animated among the annual festivals in the plateau.
In mid-May, people have the best season in the year, with bright sunshine and cool breeze. Everywhere is green and all kinds of flowers in full bloom. On the early morning, people put on their best clothing, climb onto the top of Wufeng Mountain in the east of Zhongdian. They set up tents in the azalea shrubs where they prepare sumptuous picnic and delightedly spend three days there. The horse riders will take part in the traditional horsemanship and horse-racing contest. You can hear the cheer and laughter far away from the contest ground from time to time. Apart from the horserace, various art performances are held there. Some people perform Guozhuang and Xuanzi(one of the most representative dance of Tibetan folk dances, popularized in North-Tibet Kangba District), the other dance with Reba steps (a Tibetan folk dance). The spectacular scene gets better year after year. The merchants with all kinds of goods swarm here to sell different articles, enhancing the animation of the festival.
Ghee Flower Lantern Fair
It is a traditional spectacular fair in Tibetan areas. It is held on January 15 of Tibetan Calendar (March of lunar calendar). Legend has it that, Zongkaba, the founder of the Gelug Sect, used to provide ghee flowers and many ghee lamps to the statue of Sakyamuni, hence the Ghee Flower Lantern Fair. During the festival, there are some entertainment activities such as sorcerer's dance in a trance in the Dazhao Temple. Some 20-30 actors wear masks and dress in silk robes. They dance and sing to the accompaniment of large horns, suona (a woodwind instrument), cowhide drums, gongs and drums. At night, every temple is decorated with different lanterns and streamers. The ghee shelves are set up on the main streets. The ghee flowers are made of the ghee dyed in different colors, which are elaborately figured in the shape of birds, beasts, cow and horse, buildings and palaces. The Guihua and Dongzhulin temples in Diqing, Yunnan Province are decorated in the same way as those in Tibetan areas. It is really a magnificent event full of liveliness.
Flower Display Festival
It is celebrated on June 18 of the lunar calendar. On this day, every village carries out the celebration. The villagers set up tents and enjoy themselves. The entertainment lasts at least 3-4 days, even more than 10 days. During the festival, people present kha-btags to the visitors and invite them to visit their tents hospitably. At night, old or young, all of them sing the folk songs and dance hand in hand around the fire to the accompaniment of the stringed bell. The whole night is full of cheers and laughter.
Praying Festival
It is considered the grandest religious and folk entertainment festival activity in the Tibetan areas. There are two kinds of such fairs: the one is the Praying Festival of the Gelug Sect; the other is the Praying Festival of the Benbo Sect, which is the original Tibetan religion. The Praying Festival of the Gelug Sect is the same as that of Lhasa in Tibet. It is held twice per year. One is on June 15, and the other is from lunar January 1 to 3. And the latter is more spectacular than the Praying Festival in summer. There are many temples and disciples of Benbo Sect in Tibetan areas. They still retain the original religious custom. They also have two important praying festivals each year. One is on June 13 to 15 of lunar calendar.
The other takes place from January 13 to 16 of the lunar calendar. On the worship ceremony, all monasteries presided over by the Living Buddha will pray for a bumper harvest, prosperity of livestock as well as an auspicious year without any disaster. On the 15th of the lunar month, the praying festival reaches its upsurge. On this day, the pilgrims and local people will exceed more than 20,000 people. They come here to worship in the Gami Temple of the Songpanbo Fane. The pilgrims have to visit the holy mountain behind the Gami Temple - Small Western Paradise.
On the morning of January 15, the monasteries and monks of the temple will wear new cassocks, and the temple band play the accompaniment with the copper horns. Afterward, the monks from the temple gather together in the hall to chant scripture. Besides, the Living Buddha will assign duty to each monk in the temple. Near the noon, they perform the sorcerer's dance in a trance for the pilgrims and audience.
Up to date, there are many renewals to programs of the Praying Festival, such as girls and young men looking for lovers there. The temples enclosed by tents provide an opportunity to develop the booming business fair.
Zhachong Festival
It is one of the Tibetan special festivals in Aba County, and has developed from religious events to a folk and commercial holiday. The "Zha" means "the pottery", and the "Chong" means "the market". That is to say, it is a grand pottery fair.
During the festival, people from the borders of Sichuan, Gansu and Qinghai Provinces gather here to do business. The festival falls on May 20 of the lunar calendar, when people met to recite the "True Sutra". Today, the assembly for chanting "True Sutra" gradually developed to the spectacular folk festival.
On the fair, besides reciting the "True Sutra", it will be held many activities, such as horserace, wrestling and Guozhuang Dance, etc. At the same time, many merchants from everywhere come here to deal in the pottery business. The pottery is the favorable ware here, though there are many other articles on the market. As the pottery was the main product available in the market at that time, people termed it "Zhachong" (pottery fair).
Nowadays, a new city on grassplot has been built up at the place where the original pottery fair was held. This traditional festival of the Abas (people living in an autonomous area called "Aba") has been promoting economic prosperity in this area. In February 1985, the date of the Zhachong Festival was determined on June 15 to 17 of each lunar year under the consultation of the County's People's Government with representatives of all circles.
Water Thanksgiving Festival
It is popular in Mianning County and takes place on March 6 of the lunar calendar. The festival is mainly celebrated to pray for rain and child. A lama brings frogs, snakes and toads made of sticky rice with him. Each family sends one or two deputies. They come to the raceway together. The lama patters, placing the animal figures in the water. While returning, they open the rain gear and make a racket, indicating it has begun to rain. After then, they worship a round pagoda which contains a knife and a boiler symbolizing procreation. The married women without babies will vow to the pagoda god for a baby. The woman, who gives birth to a baby, has to repeat the worship for her vow at the pagoda.
Eagle Adoration Festival
Benri Mountain, a famous one in Tibet, is located about 6 km away from Linzhi County of Tibet. There is a temple of Ben-Sect on the mountainside. With a history of more than 1,200 years, it is one of the oldest temples, where a traditional festival -- Eagle Adoration -- is celebrated on April 30 of Tibetan calendar.
The temple was built around 757 and received endless streams of pilgrims at that time. But up to 1330, it was in decline. Very few believers came, and the lamas and monks left because of different reasons. The temple fell into desolation.
A Lama searched for all temples of Ben Sect and various denominations in Tibet, intending to compose a scripture of Ben Sect. He was recognized as Living Buddha when he was 8 years old. He started studying the Ben Sect theory, collecting and writing the Ben scripture at the age of 13. When he passed by the temple and saw the desolation, he felt upset for the Ben Sect and feared the sect would disappear if no measures were taken. Therefore, he was determined to save it by establishing the regulations and systems and teaching the knowledge on the Ben Sect what he learned in order to resume its former prosperity.
The Living Buddha was dead on a severe malady before his goal was fulfilled. At his last minute, he called on all monks in front of his sickbed and said, "After I pass away, the affairs of the temple are to be implemented in line with what I have designed and I won't be reincarnate. In one year, I would become 100 eagles and return to see you and the temple. I would show up every year. " The day coincided with April 30 of Tibetan calendar.
In the next year, on April 20 of Tibetan calendar, 100 eagles flew from the east of Benri Mountain as what the living Buddha had said. They turned around three times around the temple and flew to the southwest. Year after year, it repeated. People yearn for and appreciate what he did. They set April 20 of Tibetan calendar as the worship date. Whenever on this day, the residents near the temple will get dressed up and gather to the temple. They perform joyous dance. In addition, people will hold contest to welcome 100 eagles and pray for bumper harvest as well as prosperity of human and livestock. At last, they tell the eagles about the temple, and then go around the temple three times in groups. It is said that if it is a fine day, the devoted disciples of the Ben Sect could see one hundred hovering eagles.
Time flies. It is unknown when people started worshipping the eagles as gods and appointed April 20 of Tibetan calendar as the Eagle Adoration Festival.
Fresh Tasting Festival
Every Tibetan family in Tiebu, Sichuan Province will grind four with fresh highland-barley and prepare fresh meat when they finish the harvest. When the meal gets ready, people have to worship the Buddha and patter asking him to enjoy their offering, for they consider that the harvest is given by the Buddha. On this day, they will invite relatives and friends home for dinner.
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