Alatengwula
01 · Lineage & Regional School
Alatengwula, Male, Mongolian, from Alashanzuoqi, Inner Mongolia, is a sixth-batch national representative bearer of Shaliboershi Wrestling (Ⅵ-22). The tradition is documented in Alashanzuoqi, Inner Mongolia. Within the regional tradition and school record of Shaliboershi Wrestling in Alashanzuoqi, Inner Mongolia: Shaliboer-style wrestling is popular in the sumu townships of Alxa League in Inner Mongolia, and is also found in Mongolian-inhabited areas of parts of Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu; it is a main event of the Alxa Naadam (Uris Naadam) sports competitions. Participants must first put on the special wrestling trousers (shaliboer), fasten their belts tightly, and stand on sand or sandy ground, entering the arena when the referee calls their names; since it does not use the opponent's clothing as a grip, it causes little bodily harm and places few demands on attire, which has also made it the easiest event to popularize at local Naadam festivals. According to the chaoliboer belt-tying method handed down through generations, patterns on cultural relics excavated from the Xiongnu period, and records in the epic Jangar, Shaliboer-style wrestling has a history of more than two thousand years. Shaliboer-style wrestling has been transmitted for over a thousand years, with its origins, rules, ceremonies, techniques, attire, and penalty decisions passed down from generation to generation.
02 · Mastery & Signature Works
The bearer record for Alatengwula is anchored in the documented technical standards of Shaliboershi Wrestling in Alashanzuoqi, Inner Mongolia. Within the documented technical tradition of Shaliboershi Wrestling in Alashanzuoqi, Inner Mongolia: Shaliboer-style wrestling is an ethnic traditional sport created and preserved to the present day by the Oirat Mongols; it is one of the main sporting events of the Uris Naadam festival and an outstanding traditional cultural practice of the Mongolian people. Shaliboer-style wrestling is widely practiced in the sumu townships of Alxa League and in Mongolian-inhabited areas of parts of Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. The term shaliboer means trousers. Shaliboer-style wrestling has much in common with Mongolian bokh, Japanese sumo, and freestyle wrestling, while also having features unique to itself. Techniques of Shaliboer wrestling such as chopping-and-shoveling, knee-folding, and collar-grabbing are named after the behavior of male camels fighting one another. Shaliboer wrestling has the following characteristics: 1. Shaliboer-style wrestling is one of the most primitive forms of wrestling and the only wrestling discipline in the world performed on sand; 2. Shaliboer-style wrestling displays a harmonious and peaceful aspect, because, unlike other wrestling styles that snatch at each other, it begins only after both sides have established a fixed grip, so it is highly entertaining, causes no bodily harm, and uses soft costume materials; 3. From its entrance ceremony and the athletes' attire to the insignia of titles and the referees' uniforms, Shaliboer-style wrestling has distinctive features that embody a richer cultural flavor. Representative repertoire, works and technical entries recorded for the project include: "The shalibur wrestling trousers": Shalibur means trousers — the specially cut wrestling breeches worn in competition, made of soft leather or heavy cloth and belted so that they are easy to grip without hurting. "Chopping the spade, folding the knee, seizing the collar": Three signature actions named for resemblance, all derived from the way fighting camels lock and wrestle with one another. "The bout opens only after the belt is secured": Unlike other wrestling, there is no scrambling grab: the bout begins only once the belt is firmly held, which spares the body and makes the contest readable by audiences familiar with bökh and sumo. "The Oros Naadam fair": It is one of the main sporting events at the Alashan Oros Naadam, with its own prescribed entrance ceremony, dress, tokens of rank and judges' attire.
The shalibur wrestling trousers
Shalibur means trousers — the specially cut wrestling breeches worn in competition, made of soft leather or heavy cloth and belted so that they are easy to grip without hurting.
Chopping the spade, folding the knee, seizing the collar
Three signature actions named for resemblance, all derived from the way fighting camels lock and wrestle with one another.
The bout opens only after the belt is secured
Unlike other wrestling, there is no scrambling grab: the bout begins only once the belt is firmly held, which spares the body and makes the contest readable by audiences familiar with bökh and sumo.
The Oros Naadam fair
It is one of the main sporting events at the Alashan Oros Naadam, with its own prescribed entrance ceremony, dress, tokens of rank and judges' attire.
03 · Transmission & Safeguarding Status
In 2025, Alatengwula was announced in the sixth batch of national representative bearers for Shaliboershi Wrestling, with Alashanzuoqi, Inner Mongolia as the declared area. Within the documented safeguarding record of Shaliboershi Wrestling in Alashanzuoqi, Inner Mongolia: The project was inscribed in the national inventory in 2008 (batch 2), with Alashanzuoqi, Inner Mongolia as its declared area, and Alashanzuo Banner Cultural Center as its safeguarding unit. Since the project was inscribed in the national inventory, its declared area and safeguarding unit have carried out documentation, transmission and presentation within the national safeguarding framework. Together, the inventory record and the project archive form the public documentary basis for the bearer’s transmission practice.
04 · Associated Heritage Item Dossier
Historical origin
According to the chaoliboer belt-tying method handed down through generations, patterns on cultural relics excavated from the Xiongnu period, and records in the epic Jangar, Shaliboer-style wrestling has a history of more than two thousand years. Shaliboer-style wrestling has been transmitted for over a thousand years, with its origins, rules, ceremonies, techniques, attire, and penalty decisions passed down from generation to generation.
05 · Fellow National Bearers Lineage
National representative bearers recorded under the same item code, ordered from the first to the sixth batch. Batch order is not a teacher–student relationship.
| Bearer | Declared area | Roster code | Relation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nabateer | Alashanzuoqi, Inner Mongolia | 04-1734 | Same declared area |
| Alatengwula | Alashanzuoqi, Inner Mongolia | — | This page |
06 · Archival Sources & Bibliography
This static English edition is rendered at the edge for search engines, AI crawlers and readers without JavaScript. Compiled from official national representative bearer archival records and the associated project dossier, organized by topic and translated into English. 阅读中文版。