Lhari Gyayang Nyima is a senior lecturer at Yushu Prefecture Vocational Technical School, the honorary chairman of Yushu Painting and Calligraphy Association, and the deputy chairman of Qinghai Ethnic Painters and Calligraphers Association.

In his early years, Gyayang Nyima was devoted to traditional Chinese paintings. His creative paintings are abundant in ethnic elements and personal styles. Later, he committed himself to the systematic study and creation of thangkas. His thangkas have been well-recognized by industrial insiders and won many awards. In recent two years, he has developed a passion for something new.

Apart from the display of his original works, the exhibition will also feature the first public release of his rubbings of rock paintings in Tibet.

Three years ago, Gyayang Nyima came across rock paintings for the first time. Since then, he has been attached to those rock-based historic artworks. He started to educate himself on relevant knowledge and visited many professional experts, trying to decode those mysterious paintings.

Few Tibetans study those ancient rock paintings. Many even don’t know what they are. Most of them only have some ideas about the history after the introduction of Buddhism into Tibet, but before that, how did our ancestors live? How did they live on this plateau? What were their customs? Rock paintings are more persuasive than oral words about our history.

Gyayang Nyima said to us, “In recent two years, Mani stone carvers are becoming more and more in number. With no knowledge in this field, some attach no significance to such rock paintings, and carve the six-syllabled mantra on them. Our failure in familiarizing them with the significance of rock paintings will incur cultural catastrophe.”

On a cold windy winter day, they spent nearly four hours in rubbing this rock painting. After that, Gyayang Nyima decided to go further and take a chance on the new discoveries of more rock paintings.

Gyayang Nyima told us he has almost visited everywhere in Yushu. There are so many rock paintings on the both sides of the source of the Yangtze River. Those places are inaccessible by car, so they have to walk a long way to access those paintings.

Gyayang Nyima said, “I’ve been to many places even many locals have not yet visited. In terms of Tibetan history and culture, most records are bout myths. Few people make use of scientific means to research history. With these rock paintings, we can see, we can research and we can explore our history. They can tell us the history of the Tibetan people. So, they are very valuable for our research in Tibetan history and culture.”

In recent three years, Gyayang Nyima has found many rock paintings at the source regions of the Yangtze River, including Qumarleb, Zhidoi, Chindu and Yushu. Almost all his findings are included in this book. This book contains photos of rock painting rubbings, along with his descriptions and ideas on their age, features and subjects. There are many religious rock paintings at Yushu.

Gyayang Nyima plans to include them in his second book. For example, Minyak stone carvings came into being after the Tibetan Buddhism. And there are also many murals. He wants to do a study on those murals. Gyayang Nyima is also interested in Mani stones. In a word, he has many goals. He hopes he can achieve them one by one.

The last rubbing of rock painting has been completed. The preparations for the Shanghai exhibition are almost done. But for Gyayang Nyima, the most important thing is still not yet completed.

On January 1, 2016, Lhari Gyayang Nyima’s personal exhibition “Ancient Rocks – Fragrant Words” rolled out in Shanghai successfully. Exquisite thangkas, characteristic individual paintings, vigorous Tibetan calligraphies, rubbings of rock paintings dating back to the Neolithic Age… A large number of exhibits attracted and amazed a heavy presence of visitors.

Gyayang Nyima told us that he doesn’t like drinking and gambling. To spend his free time in a meaningful way, he embraces thangkas, creative paintings and calligraphies. His achievements are rooted in his unwilling to be an idler. His great passion for the discovery and protection of rock paintings reflects his responsibilities for the inheritance of ethnic culture as a Tibetan, an artist, and a craftsman.