A total of 48 water buffalos were covered in brightly colored body paint.
A prize money of 100,000 yuan ($16,042) was on offer for the most beautifully decorated bovine.
This year, the first pace was won by a team of local schoolchildren.
The bull looked so terrifying that the tiger got scared and ran away.
After that locals started painting on their cattle to keep the predators away.
The tradition later developed into a popular festival held each year to celebrate harvest and honor the cattle.
