Learn Tibetan Festival - Horse Race & Archery Festival

Horse race and archery competition are favored sports fo Tibetans, which has been popularized in large areas of agriculture and pasture. It has been a fixed festival for five hundred years, originated from Gyantse area. As Gyantse King Raodan Gongsang pa in his reign, he resumed the memorial ritual for his grandfather from April10 to 27 and gave a decree of beginning recreation from Arpil 28. Later in the year of 1447, Tashi Raodan Gongsang Pa began his reign. A recreation activity of archery on a horse back was added. And the Gyantse Dhama Festival was officially for med.

In the middle of 17th century, religious ceremony became symolic and contest of archery on horse back was important part of the Festival, which often lasted three days. From 15th century, archery on horse back has spreaded over the areas, of Lhasa, Qiangtang, Gongbu. In Lhasa, it started after the Grand Summon Ceremony at the beginning of the new year, which would last four days. Now the most famous one is horse race festval in Damshung in North Tibet which starts from the end of July to early Auguse. The moust famous is Dangmu jiren in Qiangtang grasslands, which lasts five to seven days. Like Gyantse Dhama Festival, it began with a simple religious ritual, then examing horses and followed by a contest of horse race and archery. People of the area is majority take advantage of the festival to do barter business, which composes an important part of the Festival.


tags: Tibet Tours and China Holidays