Machines, not yaks, plow in Tibet, but tradition remains

Dressed in their newest and best traditional attire, Tibetan farmers in the villages of Lhasa, Tibet autonomous region, participated in annual ceremonies on Wednesday to mark the start of this year's plowing season.

As the brilliant plateau sun shot its first rays from the distant snow-capped mountains to the farms of the Lhasa River Valley, villagers gathered in the fields in the brisk air for religious prayers, butter tea, barley wine, traditional songs and dances to express their hope for a good harvest.