Gansu rejuvenates cattle industry

A cattle festival kicked off in Kangle county, one of 20 large cattle-producing counties in Gansu province, on Nov 7. Cattle cultural activity is Kangle's new form of self-promotion.

On the first day, several cattle were given prizes as "cattle king", "cattle queen" and "excellent heifer".

A bull from Minglu township is dubbed "cattle king" at the festival in Kangle, Gansu.[Photo/xinhuanet.com]

Sheep fighting and trade fairs of Moslem food, agricultural implements and animal products also took place during the three-day event.

Unlike former cattle festivals, this year's event promoted culture and tourism. "We introduced painting and photography for the first time" said Shi Xiangdong, chairman of the county's cattle and sheep association.

The opening ceremony of the cattle culture and tourism festival in Kangle county, Gansu.[Photo/xinhuanet.com]

Shi added that the county plans to hold its next festival in the pasture with local scenery.

Kangle county, located between the agriculture-oriented Loess Plateau and the livestock-oriented Tibetan Plateau, is an important passageway along the Silk Road and has a long history as a market in Northwest China.

Kangle county holds painting and photography exhibtions.[Photo/xinhuanet.com]

Cattle industry has become the leading economic pillar of Kangle county in recent years. In order to upgrade the cattle industry, the county seeks to develop leisure agriculture, integrating livestock with local tourism.

"After investigating in Taiwan and other regions, we decided to follow a development path in line with current agricultural trends," said Shi Xiangdong.

Edited by Andrew Ancheta