PARIS: Maison du Tibet (Tibet House) based in Paris in association with the Municipality of Mandelieu-la Napoule organised the first ever Festival of Tibet and Himalayan People in Mandelieu on 9-10 August.

Mandelieu-la Napoule is a French city located in the Alpes-Maritimes county in the Provence-Alpes-Coté d’Azur Region in south France and is a famous seaside resort.

The festival was visited by over 700 people during the two days where the organisers showcased different aspects of Tibetan culture and heritage.

The Thangthong Nyaiyang cultural troupe of the France Tibetan community entertained the audience with their exquisite and captivating performance of Tibetan dance and songs. The visitors were also treated with story-telling, live construction of sand mandala and Tibetan culinary, apart from stands where they could buy Tibetan artefact and books on Tibetan cultural and way of life.

This is the first time that the festival of Tibet and Himalayan People has moved outside of Paris. The most recent festival annually held in Paris was organised in June which attracted over 3000 people.

The festival is a Maison du Tibet (Tibet House) initiative to showcase Tibet’s rich cultural heritage and aims to promote and preserve the unique Tibetan cultural identity amid intensified Chinese policy of sinicisation back home in Tibet.