Tibet will hold its 2012 Yarlung Cultural Festival from August 15 to 21 in Zetang Township of Lhoka Prefecture, cradle of Tibetan culture, announced the organizing committee at a press conference in Lhasa, August 8.

The cultural festival features over 20 cultural and recreational activities, including characteristic Tibetan art performances, intangible cultural heritage show, the first Lhoka youth singing contest, fine arts and photography exhibition, traditional ethnic sport competition as well as investment symposiums.

Besides, a series of tourism activities with ethnic and regional characteristics will last until October, such as micro traveling in Lhoka, holy weddings and ethic cultural custom tours of Ongkor Festival and Herdsmen's Festival in Drigu County.

The Yarlung Cultural Festival has been held twice since 1992.

This year's festival aims to build a local cultural brand and push fast and sound development of social economy in Lhoka through a combination of culture, tourism and investment talks, according to Pubu, director of the region's cultural department.