Taking livestock to summer pasture in Xinjiang

In China's remote western Pamir Mountains, wealth is measured not in money or houses, but in sheep and cattle. Every year, the herdsmen move their livestock between summer and winter pastures to maintain and increase the value of assets.

Kirgiz herdsman Sulayman, 26, lives in Atjiayili Village, the closest Chinese village to the border with Afghanistan, in the Wakhan Corridor, an area with an average altitude over 4,000 meters.

He is about to move 200 sheep to a summer pasture in a valley 25 kilometers away with his family, who split into two groups to complete the transfer.

One is led by Sulayman, who drives a jeep carrying his mother Aterhan and aunt Gulqal. They will arrive ahead of the livestock so they can set up yurt, prepare food and build the sheepfold.

A smaller pen must also be erected for the lambs, as they have to be separated from their mothers in the evenings or there won't be enough milk during the day, Sulayman said.

The long distance and the high altitude make the transfer of livestock arduous, but the young, weak and old animals are well cared for. Three lambs less than two months old are also taken in the jeep.

In the past, horses were the main form of transport for the herdsmen and their belongings, but jeeps make the journey easier and quicker, said Sulayman.

On arrival, Sulayman and the two women set up beds and stoves, and then Aterhan makes lunch - tea, yak meat with potatoes, and naan, a staple food of Xinjiang.

The other group - uncle Qurbaneli and sister Huryet - leads the 200 sheep. Huryet is taking part in the transfer for the first time. She insisted on walking.

At 5:30 pm, nine hours after they set off, the sheep come into view of the encampment. Sulayman greets his uncle and sister, and counts the sheep - all are present. Sulayman smiles on seeing the sheep in the sheepfold.

From now until October, Sulayman and his family will graze their sheep on the pasture and help protect the border. Although they are not professional border guards, they can observe movements.

May and June are the busiest time in the Wakhan Corridor as herdsmen in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region take their livestock to summer pasture at higher altitudes.

Nomadic herdsmen spend their lives following the water and pasture. The transfer provides cattle and sheep abundant food and enables the grassland to renew itself.

It is near dusk when Sulayman finishes work. He estimates his earnings for the year. "I get a subsidy for helping protect the border. Taking the subsidies and sales of sheep into account, I could earn more than 20,000 yuan ($3,036) for the year," he said. "As long as the border area is stable, our life is settled."

(China Daily 06/24/2016 page6)