Tibetannet

At the cusp of the spring festival and Losar (Tibetan New Year), the Tibet Autonomous Region Museum is holding a series of activities centered around customs for the new year therein providing a spectacular and large festive meal occurring once in a year for city dwellers and tourists alike.

Liang Wei, the party committee secretary of the museum stated that “during each Tibetan New Year and Chinese Spring Festival, we can all in accordance with the festivities held at that time of year hand spring festival related scrolls around the house, paper cutting window decorations, year-end-themed paintings, red lanterns and more which particularly have characteristics from the local region, allowing onlookers to experience a unique take on the new year juxtaposed between history and the current culture.

On the hall of the second floor, visitors firstly experience the atmosphere of Losar. Thereat can be seen several tea tables set in the Tibetan way with “kasai”, candies, dried cheese, dried meat, dried fruits, barley liquor, and other delicatessens that are considered a must-have on the table at Tibetan people’s homes during this time of year. Staff of the museum also change into Tibetan costume representative of this time of year, and furthermore, visitors are also allowed to taste edible items found around the display areas free of charge.

In the wood carving auspicious depiction prints area, the museum has prepared water-based inks, printing paper as well as a wooden boards with year-end themed carvings. The year-end wood carving prints have Tibetan Tashi Delek scripts, grouped eight treasure auspicious portrayals as well as conch sea snail designs, visitors only have to put the printing paper onto the wood carving boards in order to do their own prints, and thereby they can return home with an “eloquent and lucky” auspicious depiction.

After experiencing the charm of Losar, the atmosphere of the spring festival is further evoked on the basis of red color schemes can been seen. In one corner of the museum staff have prepared year-end paintings, paper cutting window decorations, new-year scrolls and large red lanterns themed around the monkey zodiac, with flowers draping from the ceiling downward near to the heads of the viewers.  With your hands spread open reaching upward, it is possible to touch the tops of the lanterns.

Tsering Dorje, who lives on Linkuo East Road in the Lhasa municipal’s Chengguan District, goes to the exhibit almost every year to see it. “Each time it is possible to understand major changes that occurred in Tibet through the different exhibition themes.” This year he brought his children to the exhibit for the first time.

“People rid of their clothes, and it puts on close; people take off their hats, and it wears hats. It becomes a work of our daily lives.” After a moment of silence, Tsering Dorje’s son came up with a related response: “It's a hat and clothing stand!” With those simple elegant words, the young man had also achieved a moment of enlightenment about the gift and meaning of the exhibit.