Monday marked the first day of the "Fire Rooster Losar," or, Tibetan New Year. The celebrations last for two weeks and includes a full agenda of all kinds of activities: Religious rituals, long prayers, horse races, family gatherings, and of course, feasts. There's even a televised new year gala to help kick off the festivities.

Losar or the Tibetan New Year is one of the most important festivals for Tibetans.

Among the popular ways to greet the new year is by eating a kind of noodle called guthuk, visiting temples, partying, dancing, and singing.

These traditions have been passed down thousands of years, from generation to generation.

And in recent years, a new way of celebrating has grown in popularity --- watching the new year celebration gala on TV.

It's become a family tradition for many locals.

"Today is the first day of the year in the Tibetan calendar. My entire family is gathering here to watch the new year celebration gala, from the three-month-old, to 95-year-old. We do this every year," Liu Min, villager from Sichuan Province's Zierpo Village said.

Losar dates back to about 100 BC, the time of the Ninth King of Tibet, Pude Gungyal. Occasionally, it will fall on the same day as Chinese New Year. But most of the time, it won't. The celebration runs as long as 15 days.