Tibetans celebrate butter lamp festival

More than 8,000 lamps lit at Jokhang Temple in Lhasa as pilgrims join in Ganden Atsok prayers
Tibetans lit butter lamps and prayed through the night in an annual festival commemorating Tsong Khapa, a master of Tibetan Buddhism, on Friday. At 4 pm, monks gathered for prayers at the Jokhang Temple in the heart of Lhasa, capital of Southwest China's Tibet autonomous region.
Thousands of pilgrims and believers gathered around the temple to join the prayers.
More than 8,000 butter lamps were lit on top of the temple building, in prayer halls and in monks' residences.
"Ganden Atsok" is celebrated on the 25th day of the 10th month according to the Tibetan calendar. Tsong Khapa, the founder of the Gelupga, the "yellow sect" of Tibetan Buddhism, died on that day in 1419.
Monks chant sutras in his praise. Believers pray for happiness and good health.
Yangdron, a Lhasa resident, lit 108 lamps at her home. "I started to melt the butter two days before the festival. It is an important day," she said.
Last Friday, similar ceremonies were held in monasteries at Sera and Zhaibung, also in Lhasa.


(China Daily USA 12/30/2016 page5)
Today's Top News
- More dialogue encouraged for peace, stability across Eurasia
- Pakistan, China to deepen media, culture cooperation
- Youth choir festival set to bolster Sino-US friendship
- Build network for cooperation, dialogue, Xi says
- China, Egypt called on to make new advances in ties
- Mutual learning of civilizations contributes to world peace and common development