2011 Litang August 1st International Horse Race Festival

July 18, 2011 - PRLog -- From Aug 1 to Aug 4, the annual Litang August 1st International Horse Race Festival will be held in Litang County of the Garze Tibetan Automomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province.

What's on:
During the festival, various activities are held, such as the horsemanship competition, moving round the sacred mountain, the Litang fashion show, performances of songs and dances, etc. Tourists can also appreciate Tibet Opera, gzhas dance, sgor-bro dance, folk songs, and various activities peculiar to the Tibetan people, such as carrying water, and preparing glutinous rice cakes and buttered tea.

The Origin of the festival:
In the areas where the Tibetan people live in a compact community, the local people used to pay homage to the mountain god on the third day of the sixth month by the Tibetan calendar. During the festival, the Chamqiangchun Kor Monastery holds various activities according to the time-honored customs. Sometimes the festival lasted 10 days when horse races were held, and the local Tibetan people worshipped the mountain god and celebrated the bumper harvest. In 1964, the Litang County People's Government made a decision that the traditional festival hundred years be celebrated on August 1 to reflect the close relations between the army and the people, hence the name the August 1st International Horse Race Festival. Now this festival includes a wide variety of large-scale celebrations.

Main Tourist Attractions:
Garkung Mountain Scenic Area, Conch Ravine Scenic Area, Mogai Co Scenic Area, Tarkung Monastery, Litang Monastery and Tarkung Grassland.

Transport:
Tourist may fly to Chengdu first, and then go to the destination by train.

For more details about the festival please visit http://www.chinafacttours.com/sichuan/

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