This year's Shoton Festival opened in Lhasa. As is tradition, the annual Buddha thankha display unveils the curtain of Shoton. A series of colorful activities and ceremonies will follow until Monday.

In the early morning on Tuesday, lines of pilgrims wind their way up to the Drepung Monastery, to celebrate Shoton, the Tibetan Yogurt Festival. On the mountain top, the cliff is center stage, where a giant thankha which is 37 meters by 40 meters, is unfurled to display the Buddha.

Monks also add to the ambience by blowing on horns. Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims, also attend to pray and worship. The festival also includes an opening ceremony at the Potala Palace Square, with all sorts of performances and the Tibetan musical dance dramas and operas in the Norbulingka Park.

The Shoton Festival begins on the new moon marking the end of the 6th Tibetan month, and the event is given a further 5 days of celebration to increase its popularity.

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