Take a look at these ancient doodles which vividly depict the lives and events of the nomadic people of northern China over 6,000 years ago.
In the Mandela Mountains of Alxa Right Banner in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of northern China, archaeologists discovered 4,234 rock paintings scattered across the landscape.
The word "mandela" in Mongolian means to thrive or rise. These mountain rock paintings are simple carvings chiseled into black basalt, depicting scenes of hunting, birth celebrations, the nomadic way of life, and humans’ relationship with animals.
Archaeologists have speculated that these carvings were part of primitive religious rituals dating from the Neolithic period to the Qing Dynasty, with a history of at least 6,000 years.
Adventurous visitors can travel up the mountainside on wooden trestles to study the vivid rock paintings, each marked with a unique identity code.
Protective measures have been taken around some of the rock outcrops to preserve these important cultural artifacts. Vandalism and engraving on the rocks is strictly forbidden.