Jinguo Yak Festival held from August 15th in the Tibetan calendar

Yak racing is a unique festival in Tibet. And Yak Festival will take place in a village named Jinguo, starting from the 15th day of the 8th month in the Tibetan calendar. It is a beautiful place surrounded by mountains. Many ancient activities can be found in Jinguo and yak racing is one of the most exciting ones. Traditionally, Yak Festival in Jinguo is generally held every 3 years. But now, the rule changes and it will be held annually.

Jinguo Yak Festival in Tibet

At the end of the summer when the land is still green and yaks become fat and strong, local people will start to prepare for this festival. At first, yak racing was just a religious activity held to offer sacrifices to the gods and entertain them. People would pray for happiness and good health in this way. And later, it gradually became a festival for everyone here to celebrate together.

Before yak racing, local people will count their cattle and sheep in order to express their gratitude to the gods. And women will burn incense to worship the gods, praying for safety, good health, great harvest and prosperous fortune. Then, the fierce yak racing will begin. There will be more than 20 yaks that are very aggressive to attend the final competition. Becoming the winner of the yak racing will be a great honor to the yak because it is the strongest one in this land. Except for yak racing, there are also horse racing and other cultural activities.  

Jinguo Yak Festival in Tibet