Longnusi Local Customs

Batter Lantern Festival is hold in the evening in 15th January in Langmusi. The festival rooted in 1409, Ming dynasty, Tsong-kha-pa originate in Grand Summons Ceremony. Tibetan make butter into colorful shapes of birds, fishers, flowers and statue to commemorate Sakyamuni subduing all demons.

The butter sculpture must made in water what keep the environment of mading in a low temperature. Because butter will be destoryed and amorphous in high temperature. The Butter Lantern Festival always hold in evening wherever. Also because the temperature problem.

Going for circumambulation is hold in the morning of 15th January in Langmusi. Lamas uplift the Future Buddha to go around all the lamasery and stop at quarters of the compass to do ritual performance.

The path of circumambulation is the same road that Tibetan walk for praying usually. On the day, all Tibetan will come together and follow the statue of Buddha. They prepared ceremonial scarfs to consecrate to Buddha when the queue stop.

Ceremonial dance often hold in the next day of the Day of sunning the Buddha. It is a kind of rite done by lamas. It includes three forms of single, double and group. For dancing, they wear false face and dress long gown, adorn color band and knifes. Cymbals, clarion and surnay are used to making accompaniment.

The dance is an expression of power of Buddhism. Lamas pretending various embodiment of gods and ghost act diversified stroies to people to instruct them to doing something good and never do anything evil. In addition, the religious dance also mean lustrate improbity in the year and impetrate blessing in the next year.

In 13th January of Tibetan calendar every year, Tibetan temples will hold ceremony of sunning the Buddha. It is the most important festival during the year. Both the two lamasery in Langmusi will sunning the Buddha in the morning.

In Tibetan areas, everyone knows that whatever the weather is before the sunning day, the sun must come out in the morning of the day. It is true. The weather was cloudy and snowing all the time since I arrived in Langmusi. At first, I even don't believe it would going to sunny. Uncreditable, the sunshine was indeed amazing in the day of sunning the Buddha.

The Buddha is the biggest Thang-ga in the lamasery. Lamas will do some rite and Tibetan will pilgrimage to it. Only once a year do the Buddha show to people. So either lamas or denizen all are very regarding to it.