Domay Province
མདོ་སྨད་ཆོལ་ཁ།
FEMALE
The women’s clothing in Dotoe Province is similar to that of the men; however, their accessories differ significantly. Suspended from their red or green sash are silver ornaments known as “Lho Sung” and “Sho Sung,” which are engraved with intricate designs and embellished with gemstones. Women plait their hair into multiple braids, often adorned with two silver tassels. Around their necks, they wear silver amulets and vibrant beads of turquoise and coral. The typical footwear of this region is called “Lham Puma,” which is distinctive to the area.
U-Tsang Province
དབུས་གཙང་ཆོལ་ཁ།
MALE
The wealthy noblemen of this region traditionally wear a Chupa along with red hair extensions. Their accessories include earrings crafted from emeralds and gold, as well as gold rings. They wear an emerald earring in the right ear and a gold earring in the left. Additionally, they carry a small dagger at the waist, which is adorned with emeralds and jade. Their headwear consists of two types: the Tsering Kin cap and the Bogdo. The length of their Chupa extends to just above the knees, barely covering them. These noblemen also possess another type of Chupa, which is yellow and made entirely of brocade, rather than being embellished only in parts. The males of Dotoe Province also have another traditional attire made entirely from yellow brocade, paired with a “Bogdo,” a round-shaped yellow hat worn atop their head. Men from the working class, who are not of noble status, typically wear a simple “Chupa” along with red hair extensions and metal earrings. Their attire is completed with traditional shoes known as “Sompa.”
U-Tsang Province
དབུས་གཙང་ཆོལ་ཁ།
FEMALE
In the U-Tsang province of Tibet, particularly in Lhasa, the capital city, females traditionally begin wearing the pa-drukand pang-den when they turn 15. However, the pang-den has come to symbolize marriage, with its use now commonly indicating whether a woman is married or not. The Lhacham pa-druk, a popular and fashionable headwear among the noble / rich women in this region, is adorned with gemstones and jewels. This triangular headpiece features two points at the front and a third at the back, with each point topped with a jewel. Women, in their traditional attire known as the Chupa, wear a large, box-like necklace called a Gawu, along with earrings made of emerald and jade. Their traditional shirts have long sleeves, which are folded up beneath the Chupa. However, Women from the working class, who are not of noble status, typically wear their traditional attire without any jeweled or brocade embellishments. Their outfit primarily includes the Chupa, a shirt, and shoes known as “Sompa”.
Do-Toe Province
མདོ་སྟོད་ཆོལ་ཁ།
MALE
Among the various traditional attire of Tibet, the attire from the Dotoe Province stands out as the most renowned. The men from Dotoe are known for their distinctive shirts with long, broad sleeves, designed for comfort and agility. Their accessories include earrings, nose rings, and rings crafted from gold, silver, and copper. A notable feature of their attire is the box-shaped necklace known as “gawu.” The clothing is traditionally made from wool and leather. Both men and women of Dotoe Province take great pride in their long, braided hair, a significant aspect of their cultural identity. The men often use hair extensions, known in Tibetan as “Ta-shub,” to enhance their hairstyles. They also carry a “Mecha,” an iron rod used for igniting fires, which is a practical tool in their daily lives. Additionally, both men and women, particularly the men, carry a hand-driven prayer wheel, called a “Mani Lhakor,” which they use for religious practices and to maintain a spiritual connection throughout the day.
Do-Toe Province
མདོ་སྟོད་ཆོལ་ཁ།
FEMALE
In the Dotoe Province, women have a unique way of adorning their braided hair with gemstones. While in other regions of Tibet, the “Pangden” traditionally indicates a woman’s marital status, in Dotoe, particularly among the nomadic communities, this is signified by the number of jewels and gemstones in a woman’s hair. If a woman has more than three jewels in her hair, it indicates that she is married. The women of Dotoe Province also carry a small dagger on the side of their waist, secured to their “Kerag,” a traditional belt. Women, particularly from noble families, wear large, ornate necklaces adorned with substantial jewels and Dzi beads, often accompanied by coral, amber, and turquoise beads. Additionally, they use red hair extensions, which are worn down the back of their “Chupa,” the traditional Tibetan dress. These extensions enhance their already elaborate hairstyles, adding to the overall richness and cultural significance of their attire.
