Herding his cultural resources

Juele leaves the reindeer to forage and roam freely in the forest. Every two to three days, he treks through the thick snow and goes into the dense forest to find his herd.

"As the ecology is getting much better now than in earlier years, in the forest, fierce animals such as bears, lynxes and wolves have become bolder, so I have to come often to see if the reindeer have encountered any predators," Juele says as he recalls that one of his herd was killed by a lynx.

Ewenki means "people who live in the big mountains and forests", and Aoluguya is an Ewenki word meaning "a place with lush poplar forests".

Aoluguya Ewenki is the last reindeer tribe and the only reindeer breeding ethnic group in China. In 2003, they moved from the mountains to the city of Genhe, but the traditional culture is passed down thanks to the country's protection efforts.

Juele grew up with his mother in the mountain forests, the ringing reindeer bells produced a much-loved soundtrack to his childhood.

After graduating, he worked in the medical imaging department of a hospital in Beijing, but he could always feel the call of his hometown.

"Even when I was sitting on the couch at home, I could hear the reindeer bells ringing in my ears," he says.