Rock sheep welcome visitors to Ningxia

Rock sheep are one of the most sought-after attractions on Helan Mountain in Northwest China’s Ningxia Hui autonomous region.[Photo provided to China Daily] 

Starting September, the Helanshan National Forest Park in Northwest China’s Ningxia Hui autonomous region attracts the attention of tourist groups with special rock sheep sculptures.

The park invited 20 craftsmen about half a year ago to create rock sheep sculptures out of driftwood and stones from Helan Mountain, giving tourists something unique to look at during their visits.

The rock sheep of Helan Mountain, an endangered wild species that is first-class state protection in China, lead comfortable lives as one of the area’s most iconic animals.

They are well-protected at the Helanshan National Nature Reserve, where they can stay safe from natural predators and eat ample amounts of nutritious food. This comfortable environment allows the rock sheep to reproduce very quickly.

The distribution of rock sheep in other parts of the world is about 7 to 8 per square kilometer. This distribution is about 14 to 17 per square kilometer in the Helan Mountain area, making it the most densely distributed area for rock sheep in the world.

“Rock sheep are one of the most sought-after attractions on Helan Mountain and many tourists come here to see them and enjoy the beautiful sight of these animals coexisting harmoniously with humans,” said Su Jingyi, deputy general manager of the Helanshan National Forest Park.

“But after all, rock sheep are wild animals and it’s not guaranteed that every tourist will see them. Therefore, the park wanted to present rock sheep in a different way,” Su said, adding that driftwood and stone were used for the sculptures because they are also a common sight on Helan Mountain.

The rock sheep sculptures have been unveiled to the public one by one since June, with many tourists taking photos and videos of them to share with family and friends.