Olo Tsering carves mantras in his workshop. Photos by Palden Nyima / China Daily

Olo Tsering helps maintain Tibetan religious art tradition

Many travelers to the Tibet autonomous region might come across piles of stones with religious carvings of scriptures and Buddhist images.

Olo Tsering is one of the Tibetan craftsmen behind the prayer-stone carvings. On one of his workdays, he sits focused on a carpet and meticulously carves a religious mantra on stacks of stone plates.

Tibetan nomad Tashi Penpa commissioned the mantra, named Yikgya. Olo Tsering took four days to complete it.

The 46-year-old craftsman, who has been working on the religious carvings for about 30 years, considers his skill to be a valuable gift from him ancestors and strives to pass it on.

In early March, Tibetans revel in celebrations to mark the Tibetan New Year Festival.

Many temples welcome flocks of pilgrims during this time and prayer-stone carvers see this as an opportunity for their work.

"As people get wealthier, the demand for prayer-stone carving is also increasing," Olo Tsering said.

Olo Tsering comes from the Yushu Tibetan autonomous prefecture in Qinghai province and is known in those parts for his skill.

Yushu also boasts the world's largest prayer-stone pile of its kind, the Jana Mani Heap.