The 16th of March  falls just on the 8th February of the Tibetan calendar; this day is the splendid day on which the Menzhongang Village of the Trandruk Town in Nedong County held the annual plow-opening ceremony.

Spring brings immense joys

Around 10 o’clock in the morning, in the air at the bottom of the first palace in Tibet – the Yumbu Lhakhang Palace - was the fragrance of highland barley wine and mulberry smoke in abundance, the villagers were dressed in festive costumes, holding the auspicious Hada, gathering at the first piece of farmland cultivated by the Kings and within the surrounding farmland, holding the ceremony dedicated to Spring Plowing. They sprinkled tsampa into the sky, praying for a bumper grain harvest.

The plowing has commenced, therein people of all ages and both sexes joyfully drink barley wine to greet the busy spring plowing season

The ceremony was held with the solemn sound of chanting monks. Mulberry smoke was floating and the words of Sanskrit were being whispered around, followed by old traditional dances. With the ceremony being held, the village’s spring plowing season has started.

During the Plow-opening ceremony, people partook in the joyful Tibetan folk dance called Guozhuang

Kalsang Wangyel, the current owner of the first piece of farmland used by the Kings, rushed to the Spring Plowing Ceremony site along with his fellow villagers. "In the past, planting barley, peas, potatoes, or doing farm work was done just to meet the demand for food in the family." Kalsang Wangyel said. "Since most of the family farmland was rented to the barley wine brewing company, the farming income has doubled."

Young farmers recorded the Plow-opening ceremony that has continued for one thousand years using their cell phones

Kalsang Wangyel said, because his family possesses this piece of farmland that has historic meaning, throughout the year, there are many Tibetan farmers  coming here from different places, they take away a pinch of earth from "this first piece of farmland" because they believe that it possesses extraordinary merits and virtues, therefore, they regard that after being sprinkled on their own farmland, it will bring them auspiciousness and a bumper harvest.

In the early 1980s, when the land contract system was practiced, Kalsang Wangyel was lucky to be assigned to this "first piece of farmland in Tibet."