The 6th China Thangka Art Festival has wrapped up in Lhasa. Thangka painting has a history of more than a thousand years, and is a unique art form in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region.

6th China Thangka Art Festival wraps up in Lhasa [Photo/Chinanews.com]

The three-day thangka art fair featured a series of activities, including classic thangka paintings, an annual examination for painters, a thangka art seminar, and a summit forum on thangka development.

In Thangka paintings, the main character, and every single background detail is drawn vividly.

The art fair displayed thangka art works from 99 thangka painters from Lhasa, Lhoka, Chamdo and other regions of Tibet. Different kinds of artistic schools were on exhibit, like Manthang, Mansar, and Karma Gardri.

"We've gathered the best original works of Thangka paintings at this art fair. It's not just the techniques that are important, the whole artistic design and execution needs to be perfect as well," said Luo Bu Si Da, dean of Tibet Academy of Thangka Pating.

Thangka paintings have been popular in Tibet for centuries. The artform has a history of more than 1,300 years and usually depicts religious themes. Tibet thangka paintings are separated into different schools of paintings such as Manthang School, Karma Gardri School, Chintse School, and Regong.

Tibetan thangka is a beautiful form of orthodox painting that embodies Tibetan culture. The artform was included on the National Intangible Cultural Heritage List in June, 2006.