Butter flowers blossom at Kumbum Monastery on Lantern Festival in NW China’s Qinghai

Dedicate flowers made out of colored butter are on display at the Kumbum Monastery in Huangzhong district, Xining city, northwest China’s Qinghai Province to celebrate the Lantern Festival, which falls on Feb. 15 this year.

Every winter, monk artists at the monastery make flowers and sculptures with colored butter under very low temperatures before the Lantern Festival. In order to prevent the warmth of their hands from melting the butter, the artists often put their hands into icy cold water.

After generations of developing their craft, monk artists have mastered exquisite skills and can use butter to create a variety of sculptures.

Photo shows butter flowers at the Kumbum Monastery in Huangzhong district, Xining city, northwest China’s Qinghai Province. (People’s Daily Online/Zhang Haopeng)

A monk artist makes a butter flower. (People’s Daily Online/Zhang Haopeng)

A monk artist makes a butter flower. (People’s Daily Online/Zhang Haopeng)

A monk artist makes a butter flower. (People’s Daily Online/Zhang Haopeng)

Photo shows colored butter. (People’s Daily Online/Zhang Haopeng)

A monk artist makes a butter sculpture. (People’s Daily Online/Zhang Haopeng)

Photo shows delicate butter flowers. (People’s Daily Online/Zhang Haopeng)

Photo shows a delicate butter flower. (People’s Daily Online/Zhang Haopeng)

Photo shows a delicate butter flower. (People’s Daily Online/Zhang Haopeng)