The "Beating the Ghost" ceremony, or "Da Gui" in Chinese, an important Tibetan Buddhist ritual, was held at the Yonghegong Lama Temple in Beijing on March 4, 2011.

The ceremony is held annually on the eve of the Tibetan New Year, which begins March 5 this year. It is believed to expel evil spirits, shake off trouble and pacify the world.

For more photos: Beating the ghost (Slideshow)

Video: Zhang Xiao