| The yak is a rare species of alpine cattle in the world,mainly found in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the Mongolian Plateau.The domestication and utilization of yak in history not only directly influenced the productivity of the alpine pastoral society,but also played a role in the reform of production relations and social system in the region.The Tianzhu region is located on the eastern edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau,and is known as the homeland of White Yaks because of their presence.White Yaks,like other species of yaks on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau,have undergone a long process of domestication and utilization.An analysis of historical data and fieldwork in the Tianzhu region reveals that yaks were not only a source of biological needs for the Tianzhu society,but also a symbol of exchange,wealth,and ethnic spirituality.In particular,White Yak and the plateau herders build a unique regional culture that carries many connotations.With the change of yak breeding environment and the modernization in ethnic areas,yaks are gradually withdrawing from people’s production and daily life.The culture built up by yak as a bond is declining and its cultural function is gradually replaced by something else,and its inheritance and development are seriously challenged.In this paper,the author compares the history of yak breeding in Tianzhu and the unique yak culture of the region,analyzes the reasons for the culture production and the dilemma of contemporary inheritance,reflects on the relationship between yak culture and yak economy,and finally concludes that the inheritance and development of yak culture in modern times should continue to be passed on to modern livestock breeding activities,absorbed in various types of related industries with the assistance of rural revitalization of agricultural and pastoral areas.It should be carried by a proportion of the modern herding population and eventually spread to a larger group in the form of artifacts. |
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