In Tibet, there are many festivals throughout the year that attract the faithful as well as curious onlookers. Dancing monks can be seen in the Year End Festival (February-March) held to dispel the evil of the old year and auspiciously usher in the new one; Losar (New Year Festival) is a colorful week of activities (February-March), including Tibetan drama, pilgrims making incense offerings and Tibetans dressed in their finest crowding the streets; cham dancing and chang drinking are the order of the day at the Tsurphu Festival (May-June) - the highlight is the dance of the Karmapa.

Sera Bengqin Festival

It falls on Dec. 27 of the Tibetan calendar.
The annual "Sera Bengqin Festival" is an important religious event celebrated four days before the Tibetan New Year. It is held exclusively at Sera Monastery, one of the three leading monasteries in Lhasa alongside Drepung and Ganden.

Photo: 100,000 Tibetans celebrate Buddhism festival in Lhasa in 2011

Shoton (Yogurt) Festival

Inscribed on the list of China Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2006, the festival is held annually in the month of August, or late in the sixth month or early in the seventh month of the Tibetan calendar. It celebrates eating yogurt. It´s one of the most popular traditional festivals in Tibet.

Photo: Buddha Thangka painting unfolding ceremony is held in Zhaibung Monastery on the outskirts of Lhasa on Aug. 10, 2010.

Naqu Horse Racing Fair

A grand local festival in the grasslands of northern Tibet Autonomous Region. The week long event is usually held in August when the pasture is lush and the horses are strong. There are many items including single-person-single-horse, archery on horse, double-men-double-horse, shooting on horse, flower -basket-picking on horse and so on.

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Bathing Festival

This Festival lasts for one week in the early part of the 7th month. Legend has it that pestilence was wide spread, leading to great suffering of the people. It is believed that river baths during this week will not only clean the body, but also wash away potential diseases.

Photo: A woman of Tibetan ethnic takes a bath in a river in Lhasa on Sept. 13, 2009 to celebrate the bath festival.

Harvest Festival (Ongkor Festival)

It´s celebrated at the end of the seventh Tibetan month just before peasants begin to reap their crops. During that time, people enjoy with horse racing games, costume fashion show, songs and dance archery and picnic etc. The best places to catch this festival are in rural Tibet.