Pabang Dangkuo Festival held on July 15th of the year of sheep in the Tibetan calendar

Pabang Dangkuo Festival is the most important event that will be held in Reting Monastery every 12 years. On July 15th of the year of sheep in the Tibetan calendar, believers and devout pilgrims from all over the world will gather on the grassland outside the Reting Monastery, presenting offerings, reciting sutras and praying for peace and prosperity. Over these years, this festival has developed into a festival of cultural and sports activities. And local farmers and herdsmen can take it as a chance to exchange products.

Pabang Dangkuo Festival

Reting Monastery is located in Linzhou County, more than 140 kilometers north of Lhasa City. The famous Pabang Dang is in the west side of Reting Monastery. "Pabang" means huge stone and "dang" means glass lawn. According to Tibetan folklore, the goddesses will gather at this place saving mankind from the sea of misery on the 15th day of the seventh month of the year of sheep in the Tibetan calendar. That's why this festival continues in Reting Monastery.

Reting Monastery

As a grand festival that will only be held every 12 years, tens of thousands of people will flock here from Lhasa, Shannan, Nyingchi, northern Tibet and even from abroad. Countless tents will be set up here with different sizes and different colors. In the morning of the first day, people will get up early and wait for the opening ceremony. After that, there will be kinds of religious and cultural activities in the following days of this festival, including Thangka unveiling, horse racing, yak racing, cham dance, and so on.