CELEBRATION OF CULTURE

Common Languages: Tibetan is quite different from Chinese. It used to belong to the "Tibeto-Burman" family, although recently some linguists have taken up the label "Sino-Tibetan". Tibetan is written in an alphabet and is polysyllabic; is inflected with case, declension and gender structures adapted from Sanskrit; and is not semantically tonal. Tibetan borrows some words from Chinese, but it also borrows Indian, Nepali and Mongolian words.

Common Religions: The common thread of Buddhism bound China and Tibet together to some degree in some eras. However, Confucianism and Taoism were always important in China, but totally absent in Tibet. Even in terms of Buddhism's, Tantrism is central to Tibetan Buddhism but only represents a small movement in Chinese Buddhism.

Customs:
-Presenting Hada
Present hada is a common practice among the Tibetan people to express their best wishes on many occasions, such as wedding ceremonies, festivals, visiting the elders and the betters, and entertaining guests. The white hada, a long narrow scarf made of silk, embodies purity and good fortune.
-Proposing a Toast and Tea
Proposing a Toast and Tea when you come to a Tibetan family, the host will propose a toast, usually barley wine. You should sip three times and then drink up. Entertaining guests with tea is a daily etiquette. The guest must not drink until the host presents the tea to you.
-Greetings
Greetings don’t forget to add "LA" after saying hello to the Tibetan people to show respect. Make way to others. Try not to make any sounds while eating and drinking.
-Sky Burials
Sky burial is a common form in Tibet. There are many prohibitions. Strangers are not allowed to attend the ceremony. Visitors should respect this custom and keep away from such occasions.

Music:
Categories of Tibetan Music
Tibetan music can be generally divided into three kinds: Folk Music, Religious Music and Palace Music. Folk music is the main part of Tibetan music. Many of the other two kinds of music originate from the folk music and are made some changes according to their target groups.
  -Folk Music relates to real life and is music by and for the ordinary public.The folk songs can be heard in various forms, such as children's songs, love songs, drinking songs, work songs and pastoral songs.
  -Religious Music is popular among the temples. In Tibet, the music of Bon and Tibetan Buddhism are similar, which are generally divided into narrative music and instrumental music.       
  -Palace Music is mainly played in the Potala Palace, Tashilhunpo Monastery, Sakya Monastery, Dzongyab Lukhang (also known as Naga King) Park, and some other temples. Palace music has created a pretty perfect system of composition, instrument and performance. Some of the excellent traditional parts have been absorbed into Tibetan operas and other kinds of music.

Famous Musicians, Singers and Songs 
Since 1949, Tibetan music has made rapid progresses and many expert musicians have sprung up both in Tibet and the inner land of China. The famous ones include the Tibetan opera artists – Dunzhu Zhaxi and Va-ma-tshe-ring.

Tibetan Musical Instruments
The instruments used in the Tibetan music are divided into wind instrument (flute, clarion, conch), plucked stringed instrument (six-stringed instrument), bowed stringed instrument (horn fiddle, Huqin) and percussion instrument (bell, drum, gong). Six-stringed instrument, horn fiddle, big clarion and vertical flute are the most featured instrument of Tibetan music. The Tongqin is the largest Tibetan wind instrument, with an average length of 3 m. and the Jialing is shaped like the Chinese Suona. Both of them are used on important occasions at the temples.

Dances: Tibetan dances, mostly mixed with dulcet songs, are like bright stars that illuminate this broad and mysterious land. Generally speaking Tibetan dances fall into four groups: Folk Dances, Religious Dances, Royal Dances and Opera Dances.

Food:
Tibetan cuisine is not renowned for its spices and variety, but it is hearty and healthy and sustains those living on the high plateau. Most Tibetan dishes include generous portions of dairy and meat, but these days more and more young people eat vegetarian.