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| Shoton Festival | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Shoton means "Yogurt Festival". Traditionally, after the monks are required to remain sequestered in their monasteries for the ascetic practice of Buddhism, people from their families prepared sour milk for them to drink with dancing following their period of confinement. In the early 17th century, the Shoton festival became a joint performance with the Tibetan operas. Tibetan artists with different schools from all over Tibet came to gather in Norbu Lingka to have a performing competition, which lasted for several days. During this period, the Drepung Monastery would hold a large portrait of Buddha displaying ceremony - Thangkar Unfolding. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Festival Date: | ||||||||||||||||||||
| January 30th of Tibetan Calendar. Please contact us for the exact dates on Gregorian calendar. |
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| Please contact us for pricing information | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Detail program: | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Day1: Arrive in Chengdu | ||||||||||||||||||||
| After arrives in Chengdu airport, pickup and transfer to your hotel, assist to check in. Relax in the rest hours of this day by having one visit to the traditional Chinese teahouse at People's park. Altitude: Chengdu: 500m |
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| Day2: Chengdu to Lhasa. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Fly to Lhasa, the guide will meet you at the airport, and transfer you to Lhasa city with about 1h30 driving (100 km). On the way, we'll visit to Nie Tang Buddha, a Buddha image engraved in the mountain face. Afternoon an easy walking visit to Luophuk lingkar - the summer palace of Dalai Lama. Altitude: Lhasa: 3650m |
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| Day3: Lhasa | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Visit Potala Palace, Jokhang temple and Ramoche temple. Potala, the winter palace of the Dalai Lama. Stunningly dominating the skyline of Lhassa atop the crest of Marpo Ri hill, the seventh-century Potala is considered Lhasa's most holy destination for a pilgrimage. Winding up the hill, a stone path leads to the 14-story, 1000-room. Each day, thousands of pilgrims give the prayer wheels lining the path a clockwise spin as they make their way up to the entrance. The Jokhang Monastery is the home of the statutes of the revered Buddha, Shakyamuni. While all Buddhist statutes are magnificently robed in colorful brocade adorned with pearls, turquoise, coral, and silver, solid gold bowls of holy water rest before Shakyamuni as well as offerings of yuen (money) and khatas (scarves) left by pilgrims. Altitude: Lhasa: 3650m |
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| Day4: Lhasa | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Visit Sera, Chaqi, Nechung monasteries. Sera, one of the three largest monasteries of Gelugpa, sits at the foot of Hill Tatipu. It is as prestigious as Drepung and Ganden, which had a longer history. Sera in Tibetan means Wild Rose Garden since opulent wild rose woods once grew around it. Chaqi monastery, which is supposed to help to make people wealthy. Nechung Monastery the seat of Nechung, Tibet's State Oracle. Major decisions of the state are made in consultation with the Nechung Oracle. Altitude: Lhasa: 3650m |
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| Day5: Lhasa - Thangkar unfolding day | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Today should be the day that Drepung monastery show the huge Thangkar in front of Drepung monastery. Altitude: Lhasa: 3650m Day6: Lhasa to Drak Yerpa cave and back to Lhasa |
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| Day6: Drak Yerpa cave | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Built on a hillside with more than 80 meditation caves, Drak Yerpa is described as the "life tree" or spiritual axis of Lhasa. The site had a powerful spiritual heritage, having been visited by Songsten Gampo, Padmasambhava, Yeshe Tsoygel, Padampa Sanggye, and Asisha. It was the home of several hundred hermits, monks, and nuns. Tucci in 1949 describes it: "Yerpa appeared suddenly before my eyes as a bend of the road, a cascade of small white buildings along steep overgrown cliffs. One could have thought one was not in Tibet. Giant junipers and tufts of rhododendron topped a thick tangle of undergrowth, brushwood and grass victoriously fighting the hard barrenness of rocks. The cliffs were riddled with burrows and caves, some of which were so high up on the fact of the abrupt hill that it would have been risky to climb them." For those with a particular interest in Tibetan Buddhism, Drak Yerpa hermitage is one of the holiest cave retreats in ?region. Many ascetics have sojourned here and contributed to the area's great sanctity. The site is deeply peaceful and has stunning views. Altitude: Lhasa: 3650m |
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| Day7: Lhasa to Chengdu | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Drive from Tsetang to Lhasa Gangkar airport, by flight from Lhasa to Chengdu, after arriving in Chengdu, transfer to Chengdu Giant Panda Research Base, one of the most important centers in the world for the conservation of the Giant Panda. Altitude: Chengdu: 500m |
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| Day8: Chengdu to the airport for departure | ||||||||||||||||||||
| After having breakfast, check out of your hotel and transfer to airport for your departure (transfer timings will depend on the flight schedule). |
