German girl takes mom to Tibet during Shoton Festival

A Tibetan opera scene was on stage and Johanna along with her mother from Munich, Germany came out of the shade of a tree to stand on their tiptoes and catch on video what was going on stage.

From September, the Norbulingka park is loaded with people as the Tibetan opera is being performed for the one-time-a-year Lhasa Shoton Festival.

In front of the park’s Tagten Migyur Potrang palace on the lawn is not only the stage but also Tibetan people talking, drinking and gathering along the grasses.

Different than in previous years, this year  Norbulingka has new rules as it does not allow residents to set up vendor booths along the streets, set up tents or expand the lawns. Because of the this, the Tibetan opera has become more eye grabbing. Even if the performance is over, viewers are not in a hurry to leave, and it is not that hard to see people dancing around on their own initiatives.

Johanna who is currently a students at the Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, she said although she did not know the name and details of the opera, she is very interested in the unique style of Tibetan opera. “My mom also likes this kind of exotic performance, and she is very glad to come here.”

Johanna has lived and studied in China for years and has been to the south and east. She even has a Chinese name: Yuhan Ge. In the summer of 2015, she came to Tibet with classmates and her university teacher, “That time when I went to Tibet I visited Lhasa, Shigatse and even the Yamdrok Lake, what is a pity is that I only stayed five days.”

This year, she came once again with her mother. Hannah said “this has helped me fulfill a hope, Johanna knows that I have had mystical feelings for Tibet for a long time.

During the evening, Johanna takes her mother to the southwest side of the Potala Palace toYaowang Shan. Because she had been there before with a tour guide, she became a dedicated tour guide for her mother this time. “Believers give the monastery these stones, and then the monks take the stones once again to pile them up.” Along the way to the Kangyur PagodaHannah became interested in the top of the red stone wall that was orderly and neat.

When Hannah was young she was a backpacker, and from the university period she started travelling around the world. Up until now, she has been to 50 countries. Although her bodily strength is not as good now, yet when out and about she likes to consider herself a backpacker. This time she has not only checked into a hostel to stay, she also specifically arrange to climb by foot the Sera Wugye Mountain on the north side of the city.

When night falls the German girls get interested in finding some supper. Johanna is a big yogurt fan and has even tried Tibetan yak yogurt, “the taste is not as strong as I imagined”

“We learned about the Lhasa Shoton Festival from the internet.” Hanna said that when we knew that “shoton” actually meant “yogurt feast” we got even more interested. Coming Tibet in September, one of our main aims is to participate in the festival and try some yogurt.”

The two girls also explained that they plan to spend seven weeks of time to explore in depth the lands of western China. Three days later they plan to take a train to Qinghai. “China is truly too big for European people, it's possible to get everywhere.”