Folk culture that needs attention when traveling to Shigatse

Do you know their hospitality in advance when you travel to Tibet? They are very particular about entertaining guests. Especially the national culture of Shigatse can be better reflected, so you should know in advance what will not happen then, but it doesn't matter. Let's look at the materials compiled by Bian Xiao.

Honorifics and appellations

Tibetans attach great importance to the use of honorifics, while Xigaze people pay more attention to this trend. Throughout Tibet, there are three ways to say every sentence, one is Mandarin, the other is honorific, and the other is the most honorific. This is true of nouns, verbs and adjectives. People with the same status use honorifics for each other, and people with low status also use honorifics for people with high status. People with different identities use honorifics the most. People who don't know honorifics will be considered uneducated, and using the wrong honorifics will make jokes. Tibetans attach great importance to appellation, which is inaccurate and often considered impolite. Add a Latin word after the other person's name to show respect. For example, Ge Sang's name is Gesangla, Tashi's name is Tashila, the teacher's name is Gera, the chef's name is Ma Qingla, and so on.

Toast tea

When visiting a Tibetan family, the host will propose a toast, usually highland barley wine. Highland barley wine is water wine without distillation, similar to yellow rice wine, with a degree of fifteen to twenty degrees. When making a toast to a guest, the guest must take three sips first, and the host must fill each sip and then fill a glass. Drinking tea is a daily routine. When guests come into the room and sit down, housewives or children will pour butter tea, but guests don't have to serve it themselves. They won't drink it until the host holds it in front of you. In this way, it is polite.

Give (a gift)

Tibetans attach great importance to gifts, and whenever there is a festival, they will send congratulations. Generally, things must be returned, and the number of times they are returned is often doubled, otherwise it is stingy and disrespectful.

Respect for the elderly

Tibetans have the virtue of respecting the elderly since ancient times. In many festivals, there is a habit of praying for the elderly. On Tibetan New Year's Eve, when the whole family eats noodles to bid farewell to the old year and welcome the new year, they always invite the elderly to eat the first bowl. At the dawn of the first day, the youngest girl or daughter-in-law in the family will take back the first pot of water and brew butter tea for the elderly as a sign of filial piety and blessing.

A gift for the first meeting.

When you meet elders or respected people, you should take off your hat and put it on your hands, bending over 45 degrees or more; Meet peers; Just keep your head down and hold your hat on your chest; Sometimes crossing hands and bowing are used together. Crossing your hands too much shows respect.