Sitting on the ground, over thirty painters were fully absorbed in listening to a lecture of a Tibetan Thangka master in Manniang School at his home in the eastern suburb of Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region.

It was a lecture concerning theory of Thangka art given by renowned painter Dampa Rabten, whose students here were actually good painters teaching apprentices.

Though familiar with some theoretical knowledge of Thangka painting, all painters came simultaneously to listen to their teacher's lecture focusing on a systemic theory of Thangka.

The lecture was initiated by advanced Thangka painter Trizen Rabten, who found that some painters with high-level painting techniques still didn't understand the history and theory of Thangka thoroughly.

Therefore, Trizen Rabten invited master painter Dampa Rabten to give young Thangka painters an "extracurricular class" of theoretical knowledge.

"The students in Tibet University learn both technical and theoretical courses. So I teach the traditional theory and history of Thangka to young painters here at home to cultivate them into well-rounded Thangka painters", said Dampa Rabten.

Highly acclaimed by students with a demand for knowledge, Dampa Rabten made the lecture once a week on a regular basis, and also answered questions of the students after class.

"When I was a student, I focused on the painting techniques, but ignored the study of theoretical knowledge", Samten Dargye said. "I understand the theory much more profoundly by learning from my old teacher than reading books myself".

"A Thangka painter only learned from one teacher before, but now he can also learn more from a master painter", said Tinzen Rabten.

Most importantly, the lecture is open and free, he added.

According to him, the lecture hall can accommodate more than 100 people, and Thangka enthusiasts, tourists as well as people loving Tibetan culture are welcomed to experience the charm of Thangka here.