Lamas and believers pray in front of the ghee figures of Buddha, in the Chanbaling Temple in Qamdo, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, Mar. 11, 2009. An annual celebration for the ghee flowers and lanterns festival was held in the Chanbaling Temple on Wednesday, to pray for peace and happiness in the new year. [Pubu Zhaxi/Xinhua]

Ngawang Qozin, a monk of Drepung Monastery, said, "Tibetans are free to believe in Buddhism. As monks, it's our duty to study the Sutra carefully, and pass on the teachings of Buddha to believers. In this way, we bring happiness to their spirit."

42-year-old Awang Qunzeng has been serving in the Drepung Monastery for 18 years. He is now a member of the administrative council of the monastery, responsible for taking care of the thousands of Sutra scriptures and Buddha sculptures the monastery has preserved over the past 600 years.