The year of Iron Tiger in the Tibetan calendar began on February 14th this year, the same date as the Chinese Lunar New Year. The Tibetan people's celebrations feature unique customs.

At a local community in the city of Lhasa, residents have decorated their doors with curtains and scarf-like hadas to signify good fortune.

It took the residents 15 minutes to draw special patterns on the ground with powders made from highland barley.

The Tibetan people use these drawings to pray for a bumper harvest, and a peaceful and healthy life in the new year.

Local Resident, Local, said, "White is a bright color, a color of good fortune."

This resident is holding a Chema a mix of buttered highland barley and fried wheat, specially prepared to treat important guests in the first few days of the new year.

It's Tibetan custom to offer white hadas, yak butter tea, barley liquor and Chema to welcome visitors. The women in the house will sing a toast, then the guest must drink up a full cup. Refusal to comply will be considered impolite and a sign of bad luck.

The Tibetan people enjoy a 10-day holiday for the new year, from February 13th to 22nd.