Dec. 4, 2018 -- [Photo/Lhasa Daily]

Dec. 4, 2018 -- On the night of November 24, the "Tibetan Opera Mask Dance Gala" was performed in Tibet.

The styles of Tibetan opera masks tend to have strong secular and folk qualities. Main themes include historical figures, mythological characters, gods, and animals, and most are about mythological stories. Different colored masks symbolize different character roles, for example, a white mask symbolizes a pure, kind, gentle character and implies longevity of elderly persons. A grey mask represent wrinkles and indicates an elderly man or woman, with the old man has a white beard on his mask, while the old woman has grey eyebrows and thick wrinkles. A blue mask represents justice and courage. A yellow mask is a radiant and knowledgeable character, which is worn by saints and immortals. A green mask symbolizes wisdom, beauty, and dignity, and belongs to a female character with compassion. A red mask symbolizes power and justice, which means resourcefulness and wisdom. A black mask represents ferociousness. A dark red masks symbolizes a king and represents majesty.

In addition to some wonderful excerpts from classical Tibetan operas and a concentrated display of Tibetan opera dances, the gala also had an independent display of traditional raksha (demon) masks.