A mandala religious art event was launched recently in the Chengguan District of Lhasa, attracting a host of residents and tourists, people.cn reported.

To make a mandala, monks must divide different colors of sand among clean Tibetan bowls placed on a Tibetan-style cabinet, and arrange various tools in different shapes neatly on the table. The monks, in a devout state of mind, with masks on their faces and after a short break, begin the sand painting of the mandala. After a few days, one can see that the middle section of the mandala has been completed.

“It takes a long time to create a mandala. Once it is finished, it will be swept up and destroyed, which will give people a lot of inspiration for life,” said a tourist from Shanghai.

Choenyi Wangmo, director of the Lhasa’s Chengguan District Tourism Bureau, said that the main objective for this sand mandala creating event is to show both the local residents and tourists the most ancient and quintessential mandala art in Tibetan culture, let tourists experience the creation of sand mandalas for themselves and understand the hardship involved in the process. They will always be amazed by the products after they are completed, and better understand the profound Tibetan culture. This event is also expected to attract more tourists to come to Tibet.