Hey there! Have you ever heard of sculptures made entirely out of butter? 🧈✨ Sounds cool, right? Well, at Ta’er Monastery in northwest China’s Qinghai Province, this magic happens every year during the Lantern Festival!
When the Lantern Festival lights up the night sky with colorful lanterns 🏮, the monks at Ta’er Monastery create amazing butter sculptures called “suyou hua,” which means “butter flowers” in Chinese. They use yak butter (from big, furry animals called yaks 🐮⛰️) to craft these incredible works of art.
A team of 40 to 50 skilled monks spends around three months sculpting these masterpieces. The sculptures can be huge, featuring towering figures like bodhisattvas (important beings in Buddhism) or tiny details like birds and flowers 🌷🐦. Some even tell stories from Tibetan legends and history!
The butter sculptures are not just art; they’re a way for people to share their hopes and prayers for peace and happiness. Visitors and locals come together to admire the sculptures, enjoy the lanterns, and celebrate during the festival 🎆.
Isn’t it amazing how butter—something you might spread on your toast—can be turned into such beautiful creations? Next time you use butter, maybe you’ll think of the incredible butter sculptures at Ta’er Monastery!
Would you like to see these buttery artworks in person someday? Or perhaps try making your own butter creation? Let your imagination fly! 🎨🖌️
Reference(s):
Butter sculptures 'bloom' at Ta'er Monastery during Lantern Festival
cgtn.com
