The people of Nyingchi Prefecture in Tibet, southwest China, celebrated their special New Year, known as Gongbo New Year, Monday.

Gongbo was in the past part of modern Nyingchi Prefecture in southern Tibet, and the local follow the tradition to celebrate the Gongbo New Year on Oct. 1 by the Tibetan calendar. The Tibetan New Year is observed in most parts of Tibet on Jan. 1 by the Tibetan calendar.

On the morning of Gongbo New Year's day, which falls on Nov. 24 this year, each Tibetan family worships the goddess of the harvest, with gifts and wine. They also sing and dance during the ritual. Then family members enjoy a banquet, and various sports contests are held.

According to a local legend, the tradition comes from an event in ancient times when a Tibetan ruler recruited the Gongbo tribe of the Nyingchi area to fight his enemies. The ruler brought the New Year's Day forward to Oct. 1, and ordered the soldiers to have a good celebration on the eve of the war so as to arouse their morale. This custom has been handed down since then.

(CRI November 25, 2003)