Herding his cultural resources

The local government has made a great effort to improve the life of the Aoluguya Ewenki people. Residents have been provided with free housing after moving from the mountains to Genhe; at the reindeer habitat in the mountains, caravans with good insulation, which look like small houses on wheels that can be towed by a vehicle, are provided to make it easier for Aoluguya Ewenki people to relocate their reindeer. In addition, the government is trying to develop tourism to increase the income of local people.

Juele claims that he normally earns more than 100,000 yuan ($14,739) a year from reindeer breeding, selling antlers and serving tourists, and has no problem supporting his family.

However, his income in the last three years experienced a significant decrease due to the pandemic, with antler sales down and tourism taking an even bigger hit.

"I'm now looking forward to the coming summer, when a new batch of antlers will have turned mature and, most importantly, tourism in Genhe will definitely flourish again," Juele says.

Xinhua contributed to this story.