The local people follow the tradition to celebrate the Kongpo New Year on the first day of the 10th month according to the Tibetan calendar, which fell on Nov 24 this year. On the morning of Kongpo New Year's day, each Tibetan family worships the goddess of the harvest, with gifts and wine. They also sing and dance during the ritual. According to a local legend, the tradition comes from an event in ancient times when a Tibetan ruler recruited the Kongpo tribe of the Nyingchi area to fight his enemies. The ruler brought the New Year's Day forward to Oct. 1, and ordered the soldiers to have a good celebration on the eve of the war so as to arouse their morale. This custom has been handed down since then.