People of the Tibetan ethnic group marked the first day of the Tibetan Fire Horse New Year on Wednesday with lively cultural performances.

The Tibetan New Year, or Losar, is the most significant celebration for people of the Tibetan ethnic group. This year, it coincides with the Spring Festival, which fell on Tuesday and ushered in the Year of the Horse, the seventh animal in the 12-year cycle of the Chinese zodiac.

In Kangding City of Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in western Sichuan Province, local residents celebrated the Tibetan New Year with colorful parades and folk performances. A series of performances including Tibetan operas, folk dances, and music performed on traditional instruments, took to the stage, winning warm applauses from locals and visitors.

Meanwhile, in Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Gansu Province, local families dressed in festive attire gathered to share festive delicacies. They danced together while performing traditional Tibetan Balang drums, an intangible cultural heritage item of Gansu Province, to pray for peace and well-being in the coming year.