"Sunning of the Buddha" ceremony held in NW China monastery

The thangka was unveiled at around 11 a.m. on the hillside for believers to worship. Believers and tourists presented hadas, or white ceremonial scarves, to the scroll to pray for good luck.

The event ended about half an hour later.

Zhou Guangping, a photography enthusiast from south China's Guangdong province, attended the event.

"Having heard my friends talk about the spectacular 'sunning of the Buddha' event at Labrang Monastery, I made a special trip here just to record this grand festival with my camera, experience the Tibetan folk culture, and hope that it will bring my family safety and happiness," Zhou said.