Traditional harvest festival seeks to preserve ethnic Mongolians' culture

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Children present Hada to the honorable guests. [Photo/CGTN]

Up in the grasslands of Inner Mongolia, north China, where the famed horses of the local people race across the landscape and time seems to stand still, an event is taking place - the modern day incarnation of a tradition that stretches back thousands of years.

This is Nadam, the traditional harvest festival of the country's ethnic Mongolians, and thousands of them have travelled from far and wide to gather here in Tian Shan county, in the southeast part of the autonomous region.

It’s a coming of age for some, a test of strength and skill for others, and a chance to come together and celebrate community and culture, for everyone.

All the traditional arts, many of them competitive, are on display: archery, traditional wrestling, and dancing among them.

But the main event amongst those people who once conquered half the known world on horseback, is not hard to guess. The famed horsemanship and steeds of the Mongolians rode their way into history in the 13th Century under the banner of the conqueror Genghis Khan and his sons.

Today, horses and riding remain kings of the culture, and trainers, jockeys, and their magnificent mounts have come from all over to compete in the Nadam race, as Inner Mongolia seeks to preserve its ancient traditional culture in rapidly developing China.