Community of art

Centuries-old ethnic crafts continue to thrive in Qamdo county's Karma town in the Tibet autonomous region.

Throughout history, craftsmen from Nepal, India, Lhasa and other parts of China have traveled to work for the historically important Karma Monastery. Over the years, they settled down and gradually formed a crafts enclave that makes religious items, including the scroll paintings known as thangka, bronze Buddha statues, prayer-stone carvings and clothing accessories.

Among the town's 1,200 adults, there are 140 silversmiths, 72 thangka painters, 98 stone carvers and 18 carpenters.