Tibetans like to work with music and songs. For instance, Dapur Work Song popular in Northern Tibet says:
“Shovel golden soil in the holy land/build a magic wall on the solid base the horses beside the wall work quickly the stone tamper moves fast up and down/the wall construction is speeding up.”
In building the wall, the words of the Dapur Work Song, mixed with the descant of ethnic music, sung with the rhythm of the work, helped people forget their fatigue.
The farmers held ceremonies according to tradition on a selected lucky day before spring plowing. In the morning, men driving farm cattle decorated with red tassels and a hada scarf and women and children in full dress holding a qema box and qingke barley got together at land to be tilled to seek a good harvest of the coming year, while the old villagers made (piles of) aromatic plant branches in the center. The plowmen show their respect for the “three treasures” (Buddhist doctrines, dharma and monks) with zanba (roasted barley flour) and qingke wine. After that, the men drove the farm animals to start the plowing and the women sung and danced surrounding the smoking (piles of) aromatic plant branches. The old ceremony is still held, although the presence of a tractor gives it a modern touch.