Recently, the annual Buddha Painting Unfolding Ceremony was carried out in Tashilhunpo Monastery, Xigaze, Xizang to pray for a good harvest and a contented people living in a country at peace. When the dharma horns sounded together and the dharma gongs were knocked together, a giant thangka of Buddha Dipamkara which was 40 meters high and 38 meters long was unfolded slowly.

The Buddha Painting Unfolding Ceremony in Xigaze is from May 14 to 16 in the Tibetan calendar each year. According to the custom, the ceremony lasts for three days. On the first day, the thangka of Buddha Dipamkara is exhibited. In the following two days, the thangkas of Buddha Shakyamuni and Buddha Maitreya are exhibited. They are exhibited at around 10:00 am every day, and rolled and returned to the monastery at about 12:00 at noon.

The Buddha Painting Unfolding Platform of Tashilhunpo Monastery was built in 1468 AD. It has a history of more than 500 years. At the ceremony, not only do local monks and people of Xigaze gather here, but Tibetans from Nagqu, Lhasa, Shannan, Qinghai, Gansu, and Sichuan also come in a continuous stream. In recent years, as the tourism industry in Xizang has developed, many domestic and foreign tourists are attracted to this place by its reputation. (Source of image and text: Wang Yongping and Xu Haitao)