Ali, Xizang: As the Gayi Festival is celebrated, traditional dances are dancing

The village of Ngari, Xizang, celebrated the Gayi Festival. The whole village wore traditional costumes and sang and danced. Photo: Zhang Lina

Every year at the end of July and early August in the Tibetan calendar, villagers in the Dangba Group of Zada County, Ngari Prefecture celebrate a traditional festival-the Gayi Festival. The whole village wears traditional costumes and sings and dances, praying for a bumper harvest and good weather. Elderly people over fifty years old wear precious jewelry and costumes passed down from their ancestors, dance Xuan dances and Gar dances, and sing ancient ballads. The 95-year-old Gongsang grandma, a inheritor of intangible culture, still holds hands with the old people to perform a proclamation dance this year. The grandma said: "I have endless folk songs in my heart. I hope people living here can pass on these."

The folk dance in Ngari Prefecture can be traced back to the ancient Xiangxiong period more than 3000 years ago. At that time, Dunbasinrao, the founder of the Bon religion, had to perform a Xuan dance, with at least 20 people dancing and as many as 100 people. The lead dancer sang while waving a white yak tail, accompanied by instruments such as drum, Dharma, and bowl.

My mother's wish is to pass on traditional culture Photography: Zhang Lina

"Xuan" means "dance" in Tibetan. On the murals of the ruins of the Guge Dynasty, which has a history of more than 1000 years, we can see vivid scenes of people dressed in costumes performing dances at that time. Xuan Wu combines major Tibetan folk arts such as Tibetan opera, dance, and rap. It is different from folk art in other parts of Xizang and is a treasure of the unique style and charm of the Ngari Prefecture.

Website picture location Unique clothing photography in Ngari Prefecture: Zhang Lina

Strong festive atmosphere Photography: Zhang Lina

Old people who inherit Tibetan culture Photography: Zhang Lina