The Bathing Festival lasts for one week in the early part of the 7th month. Legend has it that pestilence was wide spread, leading to great suffering of the people.

The Avalokitesvara, one of the Buddhist deities, poured holy water into the rivers of Tibet. After bathing in the rivers, people recovered miraculously from their illnesses. Ever since, at this time every year, people bathe themselves in rivers.

This custom has been handed down from generation to generation and gradually developed into a festival. It is believed that river baths during this week will not only clean the body, but also wash away potential diseases.

A woman of Tibetan ethnic takes a bath in a river in Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region Sept. 13, 2009, to celebrate the bath festival. The yearly bath festival is a special festival for people of Tibetan ethnic, which began Sept. 9 this year.

People of Tibetan ethnic set up tents near a river in Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region Sept. 13, 2009, to celebrate the bath festival.