Buddha Thangka painting unfolding ceremony is held in Zhaibung Monastery on the outskirts of Lhasa, capital of southwest China’s Tibet Autonomous Region, on Aug. 10, 2010.  (Xinhua/Gesang Dawa)

BEIJING, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) — The seven-day Shoton Festival, which began on Tuesday in Lhasa, capital of southwest China’s Tibet Autonomous Region, featured Tibetan opera, folk performances, and yak and horse racing.

The Shoton Festival dates back to the 11th century and was originally a religious occasion, when local residents offered yogurt to monks who had finished their mediation retreat.

“Yogurt is said to have the best taste and quality during this time of the year and could increase the monks’ brain power,”Sonam Wangden, the deputy curator of the Tibetan Museum was quoted as saying by Wednesday’s China Daily. “It also denotes happiness, longevity and everlasting love in Tibetan culture.”

Since the 17th century, Shoton festival has become an occasion featuring Buddhist rituals, Tibetan opera performances and yak races. Today, trade fairs and auto and real estate exhibitions are also held during the festival.

Together with the Tibetan New Year, Shoton Festival is one of the most significant festivals in the Tibetan calendar.

“Part of the festival is also rejoicing in the upcoming harvest,” says Liu Zhiqun, former deputy director of the Tibet Ethnic Art Institute. “In that sense, it is similar to the Han Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival, but on a much larger scale,” Liu told China Daily.

Similar to previous years, this year’s celebration started with the “Sunning of the Buddha”, where a 40-meter by-37-meter Thangka bearing the image of the Buddha is carried by about 100 lamas down the side of a back hill near Drebung Monastery. Throngs of believers pray for safety and happiness as they watch the ceremony.

Situated at the foot of the Mountain Gambo Utse, five km from the western suburb of Lhasa, the Drepung Monastery is known as the most important monastery of Gelugpa in Tibetan Buddhism. The Shoton Festival originated there more than 1,000 years ago.

Official figures from the Lhasa Tourism Bureau show that the occupancy rate of hotels in Lhasa is well above 90 percent during the festival.

Last year, 35,000 tourists were drawn to Lhasa during the Shoton Festival. Trade and investment deals with a combined value of 4 billion yuan were also reached, according to figures released by the city government.

Celadon Jar with Bowstring Patterns

Proto-porcelain Shang Dynasty (ca. 16th century-11th century BCE)

Proto-porcelain, which has a glaze of greenish tinge, appeared during the Shang dynasty. Developing from stoneware with pressed décor, it was a transitional product from pottery to porcelain. The celadon firing temperature is lower than that of porcelain. Most pots were built using the coil method, and were finished with a thin layer of glaze, but the colour of this glaze was not consistent. It differs from the basic characteristics of pottery, and at the same time the techniques are still primitive in comparison to later porcelain.