Shoton Festival to be held in Tibet

LHASA, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- Southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region is planning a host of cultural events for an upcoming traditional festival in the regional capital Lhasa.

The Shoton Festival, also known as the Yogurt Banquet Festival, is a week-long extravaganza that has been held since the 11th century. It was originally a religious occasion, during which locals would offer yogurt to monks who had finished meditation retreats. This year's festival will be held from September 1 to 7, Wu Yasong, Lhasa's deputy mayor, said on Friday.

The event will feature Tibetan opera performances, hiking, Buddha exhibitions, paintings and photos, Wu said.

"The festival will show how Lhasa has preserved ethnic traditions and culture, as well as its great economic development in recent years," Wu said.

Last year, more than 200,000 Buddhists and people of other faiths came to Lhasa for the festival.