• (The) Research of the performance art and culture
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• no.37
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• pp.327-363
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• 2018

Bhutan's mask dance drama, Cham is performed in the festival of Tshechu. Originating from the 17th century, Tschechu is a religious ritual as well as a traditional festival held to commemorate the birth of Padmasambhava, who spread Buddhism in the kingdom of Bhutan. Bhutanese Cham and Tibetan Cham share similar traits in their content of , , and in their characters of Pawo and Pamo. Meanwhile, , , , , , , , are distinctive performances of Bhutanese cham. Moreover, the clown character Atsara in Bhutanese cham is a character that does not appear in the Tibetan Cham. Atsara, a humorous character, can be identified by its use of a long phallus ornament on the head or by a distorted face mask with a phallus in its hand. Bhutanese Cham, originally from Tibet, is a religious mask dance drama handed down in Lamaism temples. In later generations, new performances reflective of Bhutan's history, myth, legends, and religion were added in large amount. Thus, the Cham of Bhutan now has very independent and characteristic aspects.