A boy takes a closer look at Butter Sculptures as preparations are underway for the Tibetan Butter Sculpture Festival at the Kumbum Monastery outside of Xining on February 7, 2009 in northwest China's Qinghai province on the Tibetan plateau. Some twenty monks took seventy days to prepare the elaborate sculptures made of butter for display during the festival which occurs on fifteenth day of the first lunar month, or February 9th this year, at the Kumbum monastery, one of the six largest Geluk (Yellow Hat) monasteries, established in 1650 to mark the birthplace of Tsongkapa, founder of the Yellow Hat school of Tibetan Buddhism. Getty Images logo Getty Images 12 months ago

A boy takes a closer look at Butter Sculptures as preparations are underway for the Tibetan Butter Sculpture Festival at the Kumbum Monastery outside of Xining on February 7, 2009 in northwest China's Qinghai province on the Tibetan plateau. Some twenty monks took seventy days to prepare the elaborate sculptures made of butter for display during the festival which occurs on fifteenth day of the first lunar month, or February 9th this year, at the Kumbum monastery, one of the six largest Geluk (Yellow Hat) monasteries, established in 1650 to mark the birthplace of Tsongkapa, founder of the Yellow Hat school of Tibetan Buddhism.

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