Shopping hubs first places where festive joy begins
Commercial hubs in Lhasa are always the first places where people can sense the festive atmosphere as Tibetan New Year approaches.
Tibetan New Year, known as Losar among locals, begins on the first day of the Tibetan calendar’s first month. This year’s Losar began on March 3 and celebrations lasted about 15 days.
The city’s major commercial hubs like Barkhor and Chomsigkang were already crowded with shoppers buying varieties of goods for Losar more than a month ahead of the festival celebration.
Shoppers were from not only Lhasa, but also its neighboring areas.
Paldron, a vendor from Doilungdechen district of Lhasa, was selling Losar Metog flowers in a shopping mall in Barkhor.
“We make Losar Metog flowers ourselves,” Paldron said. “Our family has a tradition of making the flowers for many generations.”
As Losar Metog flowers sold hot before Tibetan New Year, other members of her family, like her father and brothers, were doing the same business in various areas of Lhasa.
In addition to New Year specialties like Cherma boxes and Losar Metog flowers, commonly seen goods including cereals, vegetables, fresh fruits, dried fruits, seafood, candies and flowers were also popular among buyers.
Supplies of such goods were steady and prices were stable, according to local shoppers and dealers.
A vendor surnamed Li, who has a fresh fruit stall in the Lhasa’s Chakpori farm produce wholesale market, said: “More than 50 varieties of fruits are available at my stall and prices are just the same as usual.”
A manager of the wholesale market said Chakpori was also offering 220 short tons of vegetables to retailers and buyers throughout the city every day. “Other wholesale markets in Lhasa are doing the same to ensure sufficient supply during the Losar holiday.”
For many shoppers, buying New Year goods is an enjoyable experience.
Lhasa’s resident Drolma said she likes to take her 15-year-old daughter to shop at various venues in the city during the period.
“My daughter has been busy with her studying at school and doesn’t have enough time to shop with me,” Drolma said before the festival. “Now that Losar New Year is approaching and she is having her holiday at home, this is the time for relaxation.”
The woman said, for girls, shopping is the best way to relax. “I hope my girl can get the things she loves.”
She added that as many New Year goods embody rich cultural connotations unique to Tibetans, shopping is also a good opportunity for her daughter to get familiar with local traditions and culture.
As buying flowers to decorate homes is a new trend to celebrate Losar New Year in Tibet, flower dealers in Lhasa have seen steady growth of their business in recent years.
In Lhasa’s Zhizhao Agriculture Park, a flower shop owner surnamed Zhang was among the busiest dealers as her flowers were especially popular among customers.
“Every variety of flower has its own symbolic meaning,” Zhang said. “I would explain the meanings to buyers and would tell them the details of taking caring of each kind of flowers.”
Decorating homes with flowers of auspicious meanings can give people new hope for the new year, Zhang added.