Butter Festival

Kumbum Lamasery is one of the main centres of Tibetan Buddhism, but also a meeting place for Han Chinese and Muslim minorities from Western China. Photos ©2002 Adrian Bradshaw. No copying!

Stilt walkers 1 Stilt walkers 2 Rainbow Hat Temple roof ornaments lolly man lolly men Dance of Death in the main courtyard in the Lamasery Dance shopping with gun devil dance 2 devil dance 3 resting colour and dust mouth protection dental delight man at prayer police guard the butter sculpture pilgrim arrives performers take a rest main courtyard with devout visitors Sculpture made from Yak Butter crowd control tractor open mouthed close up of the yak butter sculpture monks blow horns bogey man scares crowd resting performer drum dances drum dances 2 stilt dancers Tibetan women adjust clothes muslim boy with toy gun main street near lamasery with lanterns stilt dance Tractor and stilts parade