The white ox led down the mountain on the left

The black bull leads down the mountain on the right

Black and white bull and a bull

The fields are like golden arrows piercing them

Helping the plow is the lion king Gesar

The one who sows the seeds is Princess Mori Jiang Zhuma Mei

Sow seeds all over the golden land

This year is another good harvest year

This is a plowing song. It is a song sung by plateau people during spring plowing and sowing. It is also a unique sense of spring ritual.

How to choose a day for spring plowing and sowing

When should spring plowing and spring sowing be started?

This requires determining an auspicious day suitable for spring plowing and sowing through the Tibetan astronomical calendar. The annual spring plowing and sowing time in Lhasa is determined by the Dapu Astronomical Observatory in Mozhugongkar County.

The Dapu Astronomical Observatory is located in Dapu Village, Tangjia Township, Mozhugongka County. The observatory consists of a perforation building and a photometric stone. There is a daylight outlet on the roof in the middle of the wall of the perforation building. Every year, when the sun passes through the perforation building, When the daylight outlet on the top shines on the light meter and the three points form a line, it is time for spring plowing and irrigation.

This year, spring plowing and sowing in Lhasa is on March 16. If you are in Lhasa at this time, you may wish to go to the fields in Lhasa's Linzhou County, Dazi District, Doulungdeqing District, Qushui County and other places to participate in spring plowing with the local people and experience the rituals of spring.

What’s the point of spring plowing and spring sowing?

When should spring plowing and spring sowing be started?

In the eyes of Tibetan farmers, spring plowing is the most solemn agricultural activity of the year. Villagers dressed in festive costumes, holding their own "Chema" (symbolizing a good harvest) gathered at the head of the field and sang the "Xie Qing" prayer. They sang songs, toasted each other with highland barley wine, and began to sow seeds to pray for a good harvest.

In addition to dressing up, the cattle, tractors, etc. also need to be dressed up. Colorful hadas and bouquets of flowers were draped on the front of the tractor, and red tassels were hung on both sides of the tractor. There were also bells placed under the front of the tractor.

With the convenience of transportation, more and more machines have entered the plateau. The traditional farming method of "two oxen carrying a pole" has basically withdrawn from the stage of history and evolved into a form of blessing at the plowing ceremony.

The tractor driver and the woman who spreads the seeds on this day are also selected in advance and must meet conditions such as matching zodiac signs. The tractor operator plowed the land, and the woman then sowed seeds such as barley, wheat, and peas.

The excitement after spring plowing and sowing

When should spring plowing and spring sowing be started?

Don’t think that once the fields are plowed and the seeds are sown, the ceremony is over.

Everyone gathered together, opened the barley wine and food, and started drinking and singing. Singing and dancing, dancing and singing, the lively atmosphere in the fields adds infinite scenery to the plateau in early spring.

This rich ceremony carries beautiful wishes. In auspicious songs, ancient folk customs are carried on. Tractors plowed open the land that had been silent all winter, spreading the seeds of hope into the fields again.