August 4, on the hillside behind Drepung Monastery, a huge Thangka of the figure of Sakyamuni slowly unfolded with the solemn sound of dharma horns. It has attracted thousands of Buddhist believers and tourists from all over the world. The scene was very spectacular.

Located in the western suburb of Lhasa, Drepung Monastery is a monastery of the Gelug Sect of Tibetan Buddhism. Along with Ganden Monastery and Sera Monastery, it is considered one of the three most influential monasteries in Lhasa. Drepung Monastery has a big scale, with white buildings constructed along the mountain, looking like a huge pile of rice from a distance. The pile of rice is called Drepung in Tibetan. Drepung Monastery is named after it.

Shoton means yogurt banquet. In Tibetan. “Sho” means “yogurt” and “Ton” means “banquet”. Shoton was originally a religious event. From April to June in the Tibetan calendar, monks shall meditate within the temple according to Buddhist commandments in order to avoid any possibility of hurting living creatures by going out. After the ban was lifted at the end of June, people would prepare yogurt and other delicious food for monks and carry out all kinds of celebration activities. It gradually evolved into the Shoton Festival today. It has a history of more than 300 years. In 2006, the Shoton Festival was included in the list of the national intangible cultural heritage. Since there are Tibetan opera performances and the Buddha Painting Unfolding Ceremony on the festival, it is also called the “Tibetan Opera Festival” or “Buddha Painting Unfolding Festival”.

“This year, all of our five family members came to Drepung Monastery early in the morning to see the Buddha Painting Unfolding. Everything was smooth. I hope that we can continue to carry forward our traditional festivals,” said Moyang La, a 67-year-old Lhasa native. She believes that the Shoton Festival in Lhasa is the largest celebration other than that for the Tibetan New Year.

The Shoton Festival began with the ceremony of Buddha Painting Unfolding, followed by Tibetan opera performance in Norbu Lingka Park and activities of Lingka (outing and picnic). In the new era, the Shelton Festival has developed into a comprehensive cultural gala integrating Buddhist activities, literary and artistic performances, and tourism and leisure, showing vividly the humanistic landscape and local customs of Xizang to the world.