Tibetan Ghost Festival
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Perched in the northern reaches of China's Yunnan Province in Shangrila, is the Ganden Sumtseling Monastery (Songzalin Monastery). On the 29th of the 12th Tibetan month, the Ghost Exorcising Dance takes place.
Never mind that name "Shangrila" came from James Hilton's infamous novel "The Lost Horizon"; that a new city hall has been built in the centre of town with lego-like Tibetan Buddhist motifs (peculiar for a secular institution); that there is a heavy PLA presence in town; or that the monastery is being restored by a Han Chinese architect. The Festival is still primarily a joyous Tibetan affair. On this day, the locals dress up in their finest and prepare for the coming new year by participating in the drive of "ghosts" and "malevolent spirits" away from the monastery and their respective homes.
Photographer: Raymond Ang
2 of 13 "Though the monastery is perched outside of Shangrila town, locals start arriving as early as 8am in order to get a good position from which to watch the dance."
Photographer: Raymond Ang
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3 of 13 "There are various roles for the monks for play for the day: some are musicians, some carry the incense burners, others will don the masks and robes for the main act."
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4 of 13 "The monastery once devastated by the Cultural Revolution is being refurbished by a Han Chinese architect. These monks get up high for a good view of the proceedings."
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5 of 13 "Some of the local laypersons volunteer as traditional groundsmen. They keep the crowds behind the demarcated areas and add local colour to the event."
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6 of 13 "Some mothers dress up their children to be proudly displayed to the community. This little girl however, probably does not share the same sentiments as her mother."
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7 of 13 "This little girl has probably not attended an event where there are so many people. As the afternoon approaches, her mother protects her face by wrapping a piece of cloth around her sun-burnt cheeks."
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8 of 13 "In the Shangrila region, Tibetan women wear a thick coil of red thread and cloth around their hair. There are distinct other styles that indicate which Tibetan region one is from."
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9 of 13 "The monastery has a heavy curtain woven of yak wool, which shields the porch from the relentless sun. The locals crowd the staircases in order to get a view on the proceedings."
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10 of 13 "Sonzalin Monastery, like Potala Palace in Tibet, is set on a low hill, and is surrounded by mountains."
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11 of 13 "By mid afternoon, the dance is in full swing and the courtyard is swirling with deities which mesmerize the crowd."
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12 of 13 "The dancer holds in his hands a sceptre and a bell. His stately and graceful moves are choreographed by lamas of centuries past."
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13 of 13 "The Tibetan Buddhist believes that when the wind blows, the sacred sutras printed on their Prayer Flags flutter up to the heavens."
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