Helan‑Mountain Rock Art

In northwest China, the Helan Mountains are famous for their old rock art. Unlike the carefully painted rock art in southern China, the rock art here looks rough and wild.

About 10,000 years ago, people used stone tools to carve images straight on the rocks. This special way of creation makes the rock art look simple and cute.

A local expert named Ma Erna once said these ancient carvings are like modern emojis(表情符号). We use these emojis to show our feelings. In the same way, prehistoric(史前的) people used these carvings to express themselves.

People had found many fun stories behind the rock art. On a rock, there are two handprints. One is small above a kneeling ox, while the other large one stands alone nearby. There is also a strange human face. This image tells a story. The two handprints show a strong tribe beat a weak tribe, and that the strong tribe took the weak tribe's things. The face is a special old leader. He watched the two tribes make their agreement.

These carvings not only tell us stories, but also show us how these ancient people slowly mixed with farming societies. People found special plant carvings besides human images. Some carvings show wheat and other farm plants. These crops did not come from the tribes’ lands, but from the Central Plains area in China, which is known as the birthplace of Chinese civilisation.

Though they hold great historical value, the Helan Mountains rock art has long been affected by natural weather, and they are badly damaged. These ancient treasures are in danger. Since 2020, experts have been working hard to protect them. They use special materials to fix cracks(裂缝) and take thousands of photos. So far, they have collected 170,000 images. These photos will be displayed in a museum, so people can enjoy and learn about this amazing history.