When is the Maolanmu Dafa Festival in Gannan? What are the festivals in Gannan?

Maolanmu Dharma Assembly

Maolanmu Dharma Assembly is also called the First Month Dharma Assembly. It originated from the prayer meeting held by Lama Tsongkhapa in Lhasa in 1409. It has long been popular in major Buddhist temples in Gannan Tibetan areas and has become a major festival for the Tibetan people in Gannan. The Dharma Conference lasts for fifteen days from the evening of the second day of the first lunar month to the seventeenth day of the first lunar month. During the ceremony, monks from all monasteries chanted sutras six times a day in the main sutra hall. The first is called the morning meeting, the second is called the morning debate, the third is called the lunch meeting, the fourth is called the prayer meeting, the fifth is called the evening tea party, and the sixth is called the evening debate. The eighth day of the first lunar month is the Festival of Life Release. That is, the horses, cows and sheep prepared in advance are sprinkled with water, tied with colorful ribbons on their ears, and then released.

All released livestock are locked up and no one is allowed to hunt. The thirteenth day of the first lunar month is the Sun-burning Buddha Festival, also called the Bright Buddha Festival. This meeting is held before noon. In each temple, monks and nuns, led by exorcists, carry huge, colorfully embroidered Buddha statues for display on fixed sun-burned dais near the foothills of the temple. Then the monks and nuns praised the Buddha's merits and recited the "Bathing Sutra". The French dance on the fourteenth day of the first lunar month is the French dance team specially organized by the temple: usually about 30 people, wearing various masks, perform a plot to suppress evil spirits. Finally, the dancers and monks led by the exorcists knead the cakes into food and offer them to gods and ghosts, and send them to the outside of the temple to be burned, wishing for a good year.

On the night of the 15th day of the first lunar month, a butter sculpture lantern festival is held at Labrang Temple and Zhuoni Temple. That night, wooden frames were set up at fixed locations around the main sutra hall of the temple to display various butter sculptures made by living Buddhas of different sizes. Under the illumination of butter lamps, the butter sculptures became more dazzling, and crowds of people crowded in until late at night. On the sixteenth day of the first lunar month, turning Shangba means turning Maitreya. On this day, the monks carried the Maitreya Buddha out of the sutra hall, and with the accompaniment of Qin Chao, they performed sutras around the temple and prayed for future happiness. Shambhala Tourism Art Festival Time: Midsummer every year Location: Grassland Activities of the week: The largest comprehensive tourism festival in Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, with the theme of returning to nature, life, and highlighting national characteristics, it is a grand festival for the masses.

Let tourists experience the most authentic side of Tibetan culture, understand Tibetan customs and have fun with them. Xianglang Festival Time: Every year around the 15th day of the sixth lunar month Location: Sangke Grassland Activities: Xianglang Festival is a romantic and interesting festival. Tibetans will carry out some entertainment activities full of life interest and national characteristics during the festival. Such as horse racing, yak racing, tug of war, wrestling, running, singing, dancing, etc. The time of the Arrow Inserting Festival is in May and June of the lunar calendar every year.

Location: Gannan Tibetan activities: People ride horses and bring arrows to the sacred mountain to offer sacrifices, and they also burn mulberry trees and watch the horses at the place where the arrows are inserted. Flags were flying, pine smoke was filling the air, archers were everywhere, and the roars of hey, hey, made the whole valley look majestic. Flower Festival Time: The fifth day of the fifth lunar month Location: Yubo Township, Zhouqu County Activity content: Boys and girls sang and danced to their heart's content, and children chased and played happily. The entire Upo River is filled with joy and fragrance of flowers until sunset and the western mountains. Sometimes bonfires are lit to enjoy until the next morning.