ALTAY, July 6 (Xinhua) -- Workers from a power supply station in the city of Altay, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, have been using fur snowboards to help patrol the snow-covered wild fields of the area.

Traditional fur snowboards are made of pine or birch and are covered with horsehide, which provides friction when skiers go uphill and helps them slide down mountains smoothly.

Local people have traditionally used fur snowboards to help herd and hunt in winter for years.