Tibetan Mastiff Illustrated Biography

Author: Ni Zheng
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-01-01
Features: All the Tibetan mastiff images in this book were also accumulated gradually. At that time, the author, like most people, did not know what a true Tibetan mastiff was, merely a chance encounter in a photograph. The author was conquered by the indescribable beauty of the Tibetan mastiff and willingly took on the arduous responsibility of protecting them, becoming utterly immersed in it. This marked the beginning of the author's journey in searching for Tibetan mastiffs, a journey that continues to this day and will continue in the future.
After indulging in rich food, one often craves a small dish of refreshing vegetable to aid digestion. "The Illustrated Chronicle of Tibetan Mastiffs" is such a "light" dish, completely stepping out of the chaotic "feast literature" filled with ideologies and factions. It presents a heavy dream of search and return in a light yet authentic manner, rich in both color and flavor. The book does not "promote" the popular "spirit of the mastiff" or "mastiff culture," but instead returns the Tibetan mastiff to its original living environment, using unadorned language and raw images to faithfully record the footsteps of a mastiff enthusiast over more than a decade in search of these magnificent creatures. In today's world, overwhelmed by waves of artificial cultural trends, this is truly heartening.
The words and images in the book may not meet the so-called "standards of artistic aesthetics," but the sincere and rustic emotions that resonate within them deeply moved me. From guard dogs tied outside nomadic tents to those raised indoors by wealthy tycoons, the Tibetan mastiff has undergone successive waves of "urbanization and aristocratization," gradually becoming alienated and facing extinction. However, as domestic animals, Tibetan mastiffs cannot be listed as wild species for protection or legislative safeguards. In this awkward and urgent situation, the author Ni Zheng diligently collected and organized various materials about Tibetan mastiffs—written and oral, historical and folk—paired with original images taken over more than a decade while "roaming" across the Tibetan mastiff regions of northwest China, along with his personal reflections. He sincerely calls on people to approach Tibetan mastiffs with an equal perspective, to pay attention to and protect them.
This is a sincere and authentic book, a book about the search for and return to one's true self, and a book worth recommending in the Year of the Dog. As the Year of the Rooster draws to a close, we are surrounded by avian flu. As the Year of the Dog approaches, I hope we will at least not leave behind any negative memories about dogs.