The jade tree branches out

A man guides yaks through a hotel parking lot in downtown Qumalai county, Yushu, in 2014.

Nomads and tourists camp on the grasslands that sparkle with colorful prairie flowers to witness horseback riding, archery and wrestling feats.

Tibetans also stage yak dances - equivalents of the ethnic Han's lion dances.

The celebration lured about 100,000 visitors last year and the year before. Officials expect an upsurge this year.

The festival is purposefully timed. July is the warmest month.

Elevations averaging 4,200 meters mean it snows 10 months a year. (While the settlement's name translates as "jade tree", there isn't a tree for hundreds of km because of the altitude.)

The best period to travel visit is from June to October.

Otherwise, flurries make the roads even rougher.

But while transportation improves and fewer livestock rove the roads, locals assure me the jest about the smashed yak will get yuks for years to come.

"It's part of our culture," a local teacher explains.

"Things change. But we'll always love yaks - and to laugh."

Yang Feiyue contributed to this story.