The annual Shoton Yogurt Banquet Festival

A lot of Tibetans and visotors enjoy looking at a 35-meter by 30-meter giant Thangka painting bearing the image of Sakyamuni, founder of Buddhism, on the hillside next to the Zhebung Monastery in Lhasa, capital of China's Tibet Autonomous Region. The occasion marked the beginning of the annual Shoton (Yogurt Banquet) Festival. Originally a religious activity for pilgrims to serve yogurt to monks and nuns finishing their summer retreat, the festival has become a theatrical event since the mid-17th century. The week-long festival features Tibetan opera performances and yak races.