Thousands of residents formed long lines at the Drepung Monastery in Lhasa on Wednesday to visit the exhibition of a giant thangka — religious images embroidered in silk — to mark the beginning of the annual Shoton Festival, also known as Yogurt Festival.

The festival is one of the most important traditional holidays in the capital of the Tibet autonomous region.

By Palden Nyima and Daqiong in Lhasa