Watching Cattle and Inspecting Their Teeth Photographed on November 13, 2025, at the market in Niujiao Village, Yuanyang County, Yunnan Province, China. There is a livestock market in the area where trading occurs every four days, and its most notable feature is that cattle transactions start around 4 a.m. Why does trading begin before dawn? In these areas, daylight usually starts around 7 a.m., and only after sunrise do the market-goers gradually arrive. Beef vendors buy the cattle, slaughter them, and then sell fresh meat at the market, allowing the crowd to purchase fresh beef. The region is home to the world-famous 300,000-acre Hani Terraced Fields, which have been recognized as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage and still maintain traditional farming practices. As a result, many farmers come here to buy draft oxen. Buyers typically ask sellers to open the cattle's mouths to check their teeth, as the main methods for judging a cow's age and health are: 1) the growth condition of the milk teeth; 2) the replacement of milk teeth with permanent teeth; 3) the wear of permanent teeth. Using this information, both parties begin negotiating the price, and a transaction is completed once an agreement is reached.