Unique Tibet fest rings in new year
1. Women from Mepa village in Nyingchi, Tibet autonomous region, perform the Harvest Goddess ceremony as part of the Kongpo Losar Festival celebrations on Sunday, Nov 19.
2. Nyima Wangyal (right) roasts jidar at his home.
3. Women sing during the Harvest Goddess ceremony. Photos by Jigme Dorji / Xinhua
Kongpo Losar Festival features traditional snacks, festive clothes and fireworks
Even a magnitude 6.9 earthquake couldn't stop a community in the Tibet autonomous region from enjoying its unique New Year festivities on Nov 19.
The quake, which struck early on Nov 18, caused power failures and damage to buildings in several villages across Nyingchi.
Yet the locals went ahead regardless with events to mark Kongpo Losar Festival, which is observed a month ahead of the traditional Tibetan Losar New Year. This year it fell on Sunday, Nov 19.
Kongpo Tibetan people in many villages still gather around the fires in their houses to roast jidar, a popular traditional snack made from yak butter, milk, barley paste and sugar, to celebrate their New Year's Eve.
A family enjoy jidar, a traditional Kongpo snack, to mark their New Year's Eve, which this year fell on Saturday, Nov 18. Photos by Jigme Dorji / Xinhua
On New Year's Day, people clean their homes, dress up in festive clothes, set off fireworks and have fun. Women perform the Harvest Goddess ceremony to pray for a good crop in the coming year.
Kongpo Losar Festival dates back to the 13th century, when the Tibetan king discovered that Genghis Khan intended to attack the region. To prepare for battle, the king ordered his people to celebrate the festival a month earlier, a tradition that is continued to honor those who fought in the battle.
A woman offers a sacrifice to the Harvest Goddess. Photos by Jigme Dorji / Xinhua
According to the Tibetan government, Saturday's quake injured three people and damaged 1,453 houses.
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