Jingyuan Nianziwan rock paintings. [Photo for chinadaily.com.cn]

Nearly 200 rock paintings have been discovered in recent years in areas along the Yellow River - the "mother river" of Chinese civilization- in Gansu province.

Rock paintings is the general term of color paintings, line carvings, relief carvings depicted on caves, cliff walls and independent rocks.

A survey has shown that rock paintings have been found in many places across the world. Cliff paintings are widely distributed in China, particularly in 20 provinces and regions including Heilongjiang, Inner Mongolia, and Gansu.

The discovery of rock paintings in Gansu can be dated back to the late 1970s and 1980s. The rock paintings present the production, culture, and life of Gansu's ancestors, greatly enriching the Yellow River culture.

Pingchuan Yuandungou rock paintings. [Photo for chinadaily.com.cn]

Yuzhong Milugou rock paintings. [Photo for chinadaily.com.cn]