There are officially 55 minority groups in China.  Tibetan is one of them. Tibetans are not only found in Tibet.  You can find them in Tibet, Sichuan, Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, Yunnan and Qinghai. Tibetans are known for their dedication towards their religious belief, Buddhism and their respect for their spiritual leader Dalai Lama.  There are many other traditions and value to Tibetan than Buddhism.  This documentary is to record Tibetan’s traditions beyond Buddhism. The June Festival in Qinghai, China is a festival that has been celebrated for over 1400 years.  It takes place over a 10-day period in lunar calendar month of June where the indigenous Tibetans of various villages come together to wish for a good harvest, not Buddha.

Legend has it that there were beasts in Qinghai attacking people.  A giant bird "XiaQiong" from India came and rescued people from these beasts.  In order to thank XiaQiong, the locals started this annual ceremony to give thanks to XiaQiong for peace and to wish for a good harvest.  After this ceremony, it will be time for harvest.

Every village selects its own Shaman and he plays a central role.  During the ceremonies, the Shaman is possessed by god and has direct communications with god. Food, wines and yogurt and oak branches are burnt for for sacrifice to god.  All participants attended the ceremony were dressed in traditional Tibetan gown.  The ceremony includes, praying, worshiping, and performing rituals and ceremonial dances.  The most unusual ritual is putting a metal stick near the mouth "Kou Qian", and putting metal sticks on ones back "Bei Qian", and cutting the top of the head open "Kai Shan". The dancers perform their dances such that the metal sticks fall or blood drips on the ground. Their believes are so strong that they defy the pain caused by the rituals.  

This documentary is to record their traditions beyond Buddhism and their dedication for their traditions.