Recently, the herdsmen in a village of Naqu city, Southwest China’s Xizang Autonomous Region, hosted a unique contest featuring a “cow dung” art exhibition. Photo: web

 
Recently, the herdsmen in a village of Naqu city, Southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, hosted a unique contest featuring a "cow dung" art exhibition.

With an average altitude of over 4,500 meters, Naqu has an average annual temperature ranging from -6 C to 8 C, making heating and cooking essential. In the sparsely vegetated grasslands, clean and dry cow dung, which is free from any pollution, has become the most readily available fuel for the people.

Cow dung in pastoral areas serves not only as fuel but also as a simple building material. Some skilled herdsmen even build walls adorned with various auspicious patterns made from cow dung next to their homes, creating practical structures that have become a unique landscape on the grasslands. The herdsmen cleverly utilize cow dung to create "cow dung art" pieces, which display intricate designs reminiscent of the ancient rock paintings found in the northern Xizang pastoral areas.

During the event, officials and villagers came together to evaluate the cow dung art works. The first-place winner received 5,000 points at the village supermarket, while the second place received 4,000 points, and so on. Through this points system, the award-winning participants can exchange their points for necessary supplies at the supermarket. The cow dung art exhibition activity in Naqu not only deeply explores the excellent traditional culture of the pastoral area and promotes the hometown but also plays a significant role in strengthening the environment for rural revitalization.