BEIJING, Feb. 8 (Xinhuanet) -- As the Tibetan New Year is just a few days away, Phurbu Tsering, a farmer from Damxung Nyemo County, Lhasa, was selecting a computer as a gift for his son at the Sabo Digital Plaza in Lhasa. He and his son decided to buy a brand-name computer with 3,998 yuan (585.7 U.S. dollars).

    "I've made some money in the past two years by engaging in tourism and our family now leads a much better life than before," Phurbu Tsering said, adding that as more people are using computers he did not want his son to lag behind.

Lhasa residents shop for the upcoming traditional Tibetan New Year. (Photo: chinatibetnews.com) Photo Gallery>>>

    This year's traditional Chinese Lunar New Year and the Tibetan New Year, the most important festivals for Han Chinese and Tibetans respectively, both fall on Feb. 14. Lhasa residents will have a ten-day holiday starting from Feb. 13.

    Supermarkets in Lhasa have become brisker with various promotions and residents from the city's rural areas also go to Lhasa to do shopping for the holiday.

    "We started preparing goods for the two festivals one month ago," said a manager of the Lebailong Supermarket in Lhasa. Sales of goods, especially those for the new years, have been on the rise since last week with an increasing number of customers.

A Han Chinese chooses new year decorations at a market in Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, on Feb. 8.  (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    With the promotion at the Baiyi Supermarket in the western suburbs of Lhasa, dried seafood, such as dried shrimp meat, squid and octopus, are selling well, said a salesman of the supermarket.

    The Barhkor Street and the Congsaikang Market in downtown Lhasa have the most varieties of the traditional goods for the Tibetan New Year, for example, the pulu, or woolen fabric, dried beef and highland barley ears.

    Traditional goods for the Chinese New Year have also become popular in Lhasa, such as the Chinese knots, red lanterns, Spring Festival couplets and tiger-shaped puppets.

    (Source: Tibet Daily/Xinhuanet)