Some 4,000 business people from 23 nations and regions participated in an annual international Tibetan blanket fair held in late June in Xining, capital of the northwestern province.

The art can be traced back to the Bronze Age thousands of years ago and Qinghai is one of its major birthplaces, according to Wang Yinghu, secretary general of the Chinese Tibetan Blanket Association.

Absorbing cultural elements from Han and Tu ethnic groups, as well as from Nepal, the Tibetan blanket formed its unique artistic style, Wang said.

To date, Qinghai Tibetan blankets have been granted six patents. The province produces some 90 percent of the nation's exported Tibetan blankets.

(Source: China Daily)