Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, received a record number of 1.4 million tourists during this year's Shoton Festival that ended on Sunday.

The week-long event, deemed the second most important Tibetan holiday, saw a 16 percent increase in visitors from home and abroad compared with the previous year, said Nyima Cering, who heads the festival's organization office.

The visitors brought 378 million yuan (about $61.5 million) in tourism revenue, up 32 percent year-on-year, he said.

An additional 136,000 people, about 50,000 more than last year, joined the "sunning of the Buddha" ceremony in the 600-year-old Drepung Monastery. Gathering on the outskirts of Lhasa at the largest monastery for Tibetan Buddhism's Gelug Sect, the crowd prayed to a giant portrait of Sakyamuni.

An exhibition on Thangkas, or Tibetan painting scrolls, a photography show, performances of traditional Tibetan opera, and a cooking competition of Tibetan food were also held during the festival.

The event was originally a religious occasion, when local people would offer yogurt to monks who had finished meditation retreats. It has been held since the 17th century.

(Xinhua News Agency September 1, 2014)