Rock paintings of 3,500 years old in Cangyuan

The rock paintings in Cangyuan Wa Autonomous County，southwest Yunnan Province, were drawn on the rocks standing 1,500 meters above the ground. They distribute in 17 sites with a total of more than 1,200 figures and patterns showing ancient scenes of the Wa people’s herding, hunting, dancing and worshipping.

Cangyuan rock art is among the oldest of its kind in China and is under the national protection. It has a history of about 3,000 years. Since 1980s, Yunnan has conducted protection work on the paintings against erosion.

The rock painting is regarded as a miracle in terms of its sustainability over the time. Wa ancestors used hematite, which is an iron oxide that is deep red in color, as the main pigment to draw on the rocks, recording the valuable history of Wa ethnic group. 

Editor: Wang Shixue