Nomadic Herding on the Tibetan Plateau

For nomads on the Tibetan Plateau in western China, herding is the most important task. Nomads move from pasture to pasture to find better grazing areas, which typically result in better milk, better butter, better meat, and healthier herds that bring better income. The life of a Tibetan nomadic family revolves around herding practices, which often contribute to accumulation of wealth and social standing.

Among Tibetans, the yak is the most important animal in the herd, though nomads also tend sheep, goats, horses, and sometimes even pigs. Second in importance to nomadic herders are sheep, which provide wool, meat, and hides. Also important are horses, which are used for transportation and play a major part in many religious and cultural festivities, such as horse races and horsemanship skills contests. They also play a supporting role in helping herders to tend grazing yaks. Unlike sheep, horses are not raised for their meat, and unlike yaks, they are not milked.

Learn more about Tibetan herding practices: https://s.si.edu/2VsSb8S

Editing: Jackson Harvey
Research: Khamo Kyi

[Catalog No. CFV11269; © 2019 Smithsonian Institution]