Art performance is held at the culture & tourism festival in Nyingchi. Photo by Zhang Wei.
 

 

The opening ceremony of the culture & tourism festival in Nyingchi. Photo by Zhang Wei.
 

 

Local residents in festival costumes propose a toast to guests. Photo by Zhang Wei.
 

 

The song and dance Gongbu Arrow Song is performed at the culture & tourism festival in Nyingchi. Photo by Zhang Wei.
 

 

Art performance is held at the culture & tourism festival in Nyingchi. Photo by Zhang Wei.
 

 

Art performance is held at the culture & tourism festival in Nyingchi. Photo by Zhang Wei.
 

 

Local residents greet the Gongbu New Year with Tibetan calligraphy. Photo by Zhang Wei.
 

 

Local residents write New Year greeting messages. Photo by Zhang Wei.
 

 

Art performance is held at the culture & tourism festival in Nyingchi. Photo by Zhang Wei.
 

 

 

Nov.17,2020 -- A culture and tourism festival featuring a “whistling arrow” competition kicked off in Nyingchi on November 14^th to embrace the Gongbu New Year, which falls on November 16^th this year.

 

October 1^st is the Gongbu New Year in Tibetan calender. It's the biggest local festival in Nyingchi’s Gongbu area. It was listed as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Tibet Autonomous Region in 2006.

 

During the Tubo Period more than 1,000 years ago, Songzan Ganbu, King of Tibet, ordered the King of Gongbu to fight the enemy. The considerate Gongbu King allowed soldiers to celebrate the New Year in advance. In honor of the brave soldiers, the people in the Gongbu area have developed a tradition of holding a vigil on the first day of October according to Tibetan calendar. The vigil has gradually evolved into the Gongbu New Year festival featuring dancing, horse racing, arrow shooting and drinking and singing.