Dochosang Droma, a 17-year-old Tibetan, spends five hours every day practicing Thangka painting, an ancient Tibetan art.

"I fell in love with painting at a very young age, and I could possibly become a professional Thangka painter in the future," she said.

Dochosang Droma is a student at the Nationalities High School in Tianzhu Tibetan Autonomous County, Gansu province, where she and another 40 students practice Thangka painting.

With 1,300 years of history, Thangka paintings are rich in color and elegant in lines. They depict various illustrations of Tibetan cultural features. The art was listed as a piece of national intangible cultural heritage by the central government in 2008.

In recent years, Thangkas have been gaining favor in the collectors' market, and one piece of Thangka painting can fetch over 100,000 yuan (15,746.3 U.S. dollars), making Thangka painting a lucrative career for many to pursue.

Dochosang Droma's teacher, 29-year-old Gyitai Tsering, has been practicing Thangka painting since he was a child, and majored in the art in college. He has created many exquisite Thangkas which have earned him a handsome sum.

Long Shishuang, principle of Nationalities High School, said the school's Thangka painting course started in 2005, and about 100 students have taken the course to date.

"Most of the students continued learning Thangka after graduation and many became professional painters working in advertising, performance and construction organizations," Long said.

Ma Zhong, director of the education bureau of Tianzhu Tibetan Autonomous County, said several high schools and colleges there have opened Thangka courses.

"Teaching Thangka in schools is an effective way to pass down the traditional art form to the younger generation and more importantly, it has opened up a new career prospect for young people," Ma said.

In China's Tibetan-inhabited areas, educators are paying increasing attention to the teaching of traditional Tibetan arts, including folk songs and dances.

Since the beginning of this year, with the encouragement of the local government of Tianzhu, many primary and high schools there have made the Pari Tibetan folk song part of their curricula.

The Pari Tibetan song is a style of Tibetan folk song that originated in Tianzhu. The county now only has over 20 singers, and the art is said to be in danger of disappearing.

"Making the art popular among young people is the best way to preserve it," said Zan Lifang, vice director of the culture and sports bureau of Tianzhu.

Tibetans are known for their artistic talents and have been contributing greatly to China's cultural sector, Long Shishuang said.

"The country's cultural market, which is becoming ever more open and vigorous, will provide more chances for Tibetan youth," Long added.