Cering Tongdri said he works eight hours every day, taking occasional breaks to visit a nearby teahouse.

"It is the same for doing anything. If you are tired, the results will be terrible. If I drink a cup of tea to relax, inspiration will come out," he said.

Cering Tongdri said he plans to travel to bigger cities around China to promote tangka after his skills reach a higher level.

"Such a splendid ethnic treasure should first be known and appreciated by my own compatriots, and then by the world," he said.

Editor: Shi Liwei