[1] Established in 2003 by the Shannan municipal government, the festival celebrates the Yalong Valley's status as the Cradle of Tibetan Civilization, emphasizing its historical ties to the ancient Tibetan Empire.
[2] The festival typically occurs in July or August, coinciding with traditional harvest rituals.
[3][2] Key activities include Tibetan opera performances (Lhamo), thangka painting exhibitions, and recreations of the first Tibetan king's enthronement at Yumbulagang Palace.
[4][5][6] Since 2015, the event has partnered with the China Tibetology Research Center to digitize endangered oral histories.
Environmental guidelines now cap daily visitors at 3,000 to protect fragile sites.