It was an uncharacteristically temperate day for the usually calamitous, or at least extremely hot and humid, Hengduan Mountains in Yunnan, so much so that even the most indoor-ish tourist or denizen of the region could be spurred into taking a hike into the awe-inspiring mountains, and so you did.

The entire experience was picture-esque to a point, with patchy sunlight flowing through the trees at just the right intervals to balance out the very soft breeze which rippled through the base and understory of the wooded area. Striking geologic features, clear waterfalls, and small shrines and statues which had seen the birth and death of a dozen dynasties littered the area.

But there was one particular sight that immediately caught your gaze. Sat in a clearing besides a small stream, fishing idly with his front paws but with decent success, was a large canine with his back turned to you, his pure white fur was punctuated with a set of brilliantly vibrant tufts of fur going from his lower back and making up his tail which was currently framing his hindpaws that were extended behind him.