Buffalo body-painting competition held in Yunnan

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The large and beastly buffalos have rarely been associated with anything beautiful. But they, in some occasions, would stun the public with creative ideas and skills from artists.

A buffalo body-painting competition was recently held in Jiangcheng county in southwest China’s Yunnan Province, as part of the fifth "sachet-throwing carnival" celebrated by people from China, Laos and Vietnam. More than 30 teams from the three countries participated in the event this year, competing for a prize reward worth 100,000 yuan (15,300 US dollars).

Participates paint their buffalo. More than 30 teams from China, Laos and Vietnam attended this year’s event. / Courtesy of Jiangcheng county TV station

Covered in brightly colored body paint, each water buffalo represents a different theme, ranging from China’s development, local cultures and the friendship among the three neighbors. It takes about five to six hours for the painters to deck out a buffalo, which is showered and shaved ahead of the artistic creation.

The prize this year went to a buffalo painted with the "national flowers" of the three countries.

A participant shows his works during the competition. More than 30 teams from China, Laos and Vietnam participate this year’s event. / Courtesy of Jiangcheng government

But how exactly did this art form came to exist? Legend has it, the buffalo of a local villager was once attacked by a tiger. As animals rolled around and warned each other in the field, mud and blood spattered the buffalo’s body, which made it look terrifying. The tiger was scared and ran away. Inspired by this, local villagers then began to paint on their cattle as a way of driving the predators away.

A participant shows his works during the competition. More than 30 teams from China, Laos and Vietnam participate this year’s event. / Courtesy of Jiangcheng government

Located south of Yunnan, Jiangcheng in the city of Pu’er is the only county bordering Laos and Vietnam in the province, with a 183-kilometer-long borderline. Starting 2009, the biennial sachet-throwing carnival has been alternately held in the three countries.

Throwing sachets is a traditional activity popular in the surrounding areas of the three countries. The colorful rhombic sachets are filled with seeds, cereals or spices and decorated with ribbons. They used to be regarded as a token of love.