While the celebratory mood of the 2025 Spring Festival, the Year of the Snake, has not yet fully dissipated, the Tibetan New Year is already making its serene entrance. The streets and alleys of Lhasa, capital of southwest China’s Xizang Autonomous Region, are decorated with lanterns and festive ornaments, and major New Year's goods markets are bustling with people, presenting a joyous and harmonious festive atmosphere.

On Beijing East Road in Lhasa, the streets are lined with various shops including clothing stores, butcher shops, and grocery stores. This year, stalls are set up side by side in front of the shops, and merchants can set up their stalls for free in designated locations, injecting new vitality into the New Year's goods market. Here, an array of traditional New Year goods is available: Kasai (a type of fried pastry), yak beef jerky, highland barley seedlings, Chemar (a container filled with grains symbolizing a bountiful harvest and longevity), and auspicious sheep heads, all representing prosperity and good fortune. At 6 pm, the roads on both sides are crowded with people, and from time to time, Ajia (which means "elder sister" in Tibetan) can be seen walking through the crowd holding a bunch of colorful highland barley ears symbolizing harvest, with smiles on their faces and eyes full of anticipation for the New Year.

"Highland barley seedlings, highland barley seedlings, fresh highland barley seedlings!" Tenzin, from Renbu County of Xigaze City, enthusiastically hawked. During the Tibetan New Year, every household prepares highland barley seedlings, which not only bring a sense of vitality to the home but also symbolize a good harvest in the coming year. Tenzin said that he cultivated these seedlings himself, and business is booming as the New Year approaches. A small pot sells for 10 yuan, and he can sell several hundred pots every day.

The streets are bustling with shoppers carrying packages of all sizes. A common sight is people buying new outfits for themselves or family members, embracing the New Year with a fresh outlook.

Nestled in the Barkhor Street alleys, Chokdzom's Tibetan attire shop is experiencing its busiest season. A Mola (Tibetan for grandmother) is trying on a Tibetan outfit custom-made for her for the New Year. "The demand has been incredible," Chokdzom explains while attending to customers. "We had to stop accepting new orders after February 17 due to the volume. Sometimes our daily sales can reach tens of thousands of yuan."

In addition to traditional local New Year's goods, a variety of special products from South Asia and West Asia have gathered at an imported New Year's goods exhibition in Barkhor Mall. There are not only handmade carpets from Nepal, traditional handicrafts from Bhutan, but also various utensils from India, among others. Yangzom and her mother are carefully selecting New Year's goods at a stall. "It's more lively this year than before. The streets are filled with numerous stalls, and it's convenient to find even foreign products now." Yangzom said.

With the development of transportation and the improvement of people's living standards, the supply of fresh fruits, vegetables, and meat in Xizang has become increasingly stable. At the Gongbutang Comprehensive Agricultural Trade Market in eastern Lhasa, the stalls are fully stocked with fresh fruits, vegetables, and fresh meat, attracting waves of customers. In a significant shift from past practices, the plentiful market supply has made food hoarding unnecessary for local residents.

As the festival approaches, major shopping malls and supermarkets in Lhasa have also launched promotional activities, providing residents with more choices for New Year's goods. With orderly market conditions and thriving consumer activity, the ancient city is brimming with anticipation for the upcoming Tibetan New Year celebrations.

Reporter: Lu Danyang

Translator: Zhi Xinghua

Review: Drakpa Wangchen