‘藏历’ (Zànglì) literally means ‘Tibetan calendar’ — ‘藏’ refers to Tibet (and the Tibetan people or culture), while ‘历’ means ‘calendar’ or ‘lunisolar calendar system’. It is a traditional lunisolar calendar used by Tibetan Buddhists and ethnic Tibetans, based on astronomical calculations and closely tied to Buddhist festivals, agricultural cycles, and astrological traditions. Unlike the Gregorian calendar, the Tibetan calendar features 12 or 13 lunar months per year, with leap months added approximately every three years to align with the solar year.

The藏历 governs important cultural and religious events, such as Losar (Tibetan New Year), Saga Dawa (commemorating the Buddha’s birth, enlightenment, and parinirvana), and numerous local rituals. Though not an official administrative calendar in China, it remains deeply embedded in daily life across Tibetan regions — guiding auspicious dates for weddings, construction, travel, and monastic ceremonies. Its structure reflects centuries of indigenous astronomical knowledge and Buddhist cosmology.