the protection of local species, and played a large part in the proposal of the Tibetan antelope as a candidate for official mascot of the 2008 Summer Olympics. Critical response On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a score of 98% based on 50 reviews, and an average rating of 7.6/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "In a setting both visually stunning and cruel, this Eastern film evokes the epic spirit of old-fashioned Westerns." On Metacritic, it has an average score of 77/100 based on 23 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews." Awards and nominations Golden Horse Film Festival, 2004 Best Picture Best Cinematography — Cao Yu Best Director — Lu Chuan (nominated) Best Actor — Duobujie (nominated) Best Original Screenplay — Lu Chuan (nominated) Tokyo International Film Festival, 2004 Special Jury Prize Grand Prix (nominated) Golden Rooster Awards, 2005 Best Film (shared with On the Mountain of Tai Hang) Berlin International Film Festival, 2005 Don Quixote Award Sundance Film Festival, 2005 Grand Jury Prize (nominated) Huabiao Film Awards, 2005 Outstanding Film Outstanding Director — Lu Chuan Hong Kong Film Awards, 2006 Best Asian Film References External links Kekexili: Mountain Patrol at National Geographic 2004 films 2004 drama films Films about Tibet 2000s Mandarin-language films Tibetan-language films Golden Rooster Best Film recipients Films directed by Lu Chuan Chinese drama films