The Shoton Festival, or Xuedun Festival in Chinese, is a traditional Tibetan holiday. In Tibetan, "xue" means yoghurt, "dun" means eating. In short, Xuedun Festival means yoghurt eating days.

The word Shoton means yoghurt banquet. But these days, it takes on all forms of celebration.

For Tibetans, the Shoton Festival is second only to their new year. People get a week off to pray and play. The annual Shoton Festival is celebrated in Lhasa from Aug. 6 to 12 this year.

On Aug.6, the first day of the Shoton Festival, at daybreak, massive crowds had packed onto a mountain road near Sera Monastery and Drepung Monastery to watch the Buddha painting unfolding ceremony. 

Tradition has it that, the Shoton Festival was a kind of purely religious activity in the 11th century A.D. 

Every summer, in June and July, the mild and warm climate nourishes all living things, hundred insects Awaken, and it is inevitable for the Buddhists to tread on them. However, ahimsa is one of the commandments in Buddhism. Hence, monks can only stay in the temple to avoid going out in this period of time. 

When deregulation, the local residents will welcome the monks with prepared yoghourt and Tibetan drama performance. 

Now, after thousands of years' evolution, the Shoton Festival has become a celebration featuring both religious rituals and secular entertainment. Buddha painting unfolding ceremony, Tibetan drama performance and eating yoghourt are essential programs of the Shoton Festival.

During Shoton Festival, both local residents and tourists can enjoy gala party and Tibetan drama performance in Norbulingka. Now, the sales stands of dairy products have been set up at the Norbulingka gate to offer all kinds of yoghourt to people to see Tibetan drama performance. 

Yoghourt also sells like hot cakes in the supermarkets as both residents and tourists will buy them to celebrate the Shoton Festival. 

"The Shoton Festival is a traditional Tibetan holiday, that's why I come to Tibet for traveling at such a period. Yoghourt is an essential part of the Shoton Festival; therefore, I must buy some to sense the holiday atmosphere," said Wu, a tourist.

The Shoton Festival having come now, have you eaten the yoghourt?