River region inspires award-winning artworks

The Sanjiangyuan region, or Three River Source, in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, is viewed as the home of the headstreams of the country's three major rivers — the Yangtze, the Yellow and the Lancang.

The area provides a large outflow of water that nourishes all living things and boasts great biodiversity, making it a landscape often revisited by artists.

Jigme Khedrub, a seasoned painter and sculptor, recently unveiled a 108-meter-long piece celebrating Sanjiangyuan's ecological beauty at Beijing's Meilan Academy. Using the thangka (Tibetan Buddhist paintings made of embroidery silk) medium, the piece illustrates the natural landscapes, history and diverse cultures to show the importance of conservation work in the region.

With a career spanning three decades, Jigme has created works that have won national accolades. His yak sculpture captured the gold prize in 2018 at the Baihua Cup, a top arts and crafts award.