Horse Racing Festival
01 · Historical Records
The Dangjiren Horse Racing Festival is transmitted in the area of Damxung County, Lhasa City, Tibet Autonomous Region. Damxung County lies on the southern slopes of the Nyainqentanglha Mountains and is the main route from the pastoral areas of northern Tibet to Lhasa; within its borders the grasslands are vast, and herders have traditionally made their living from horse breeding. Horse racing is called "dajiu" in the Tibetan language and has always been a component of Tibetan festival celebrations. According to project survey materials from the Damxung County Bureau of Culture and Tourism (Bureau of Cultural Relics), the Dangjiren Horse Racing Festival developed from folk horse-racing gatherings in the pastoral areas; it is held each year around the tenth day of the seventh month of the Tibetan calendar, and the festival period can extend for about one month. The gathering centers on horse racing and archery, together with commodity exchange; most contestants are youths aged over 12 and under 20, and after the races the top 20 are awarded prizes.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
Horse racing is called "dajiu" in the Tibetan language and has a very long history; it is an indispensable and important component of traditional Tibetan festival celebrations and is warmly welcomed by the broad masses of farmers and herders. The Dangjiren Horse Racing Festival begins each year on the tenth day of the seventh month of the Tibetan calendar and lasts three days, continuing in festivities for as long as a month. During the three days of horse racing and archery, herders attend the festival in festive attire, with young people taking part especially eagerly; they pitch exquisitely patterned tents, sing and dance, and court their sweethearts. Farmers, herders, and merchants from all over Tibet also bring all kinds of agricultural and livestock products and daily necessities here to trade. The contestants in the Dangjiren Horse Racing Festival are generally youths aged over 12 and under 20. The competition selects the top 20 entrants, who are awarded prizes. In addition to ethnic traditional events such as mounted archery, picking up hada (ceremonial scarves) on horseback, ambling-horse (zouma) races, and horse racing, the festival also features yak racing, Tibetan-style weightlifting, tug-of-war, stone lifting, and Tibetan costume performances.
Shooting and snatching khata at the gallop
The most spectacular events, archers shooting at the gallop and snatching a khata scarf from the ground without slowing.
Pacing race and galloping race
The two races of the meeting, pacing horses judged on steadiness and beauty of gait, running horses on speed.
Yak racing and Tibetan weightlifting
Besides racing and archery, the meeting includes yak racing, Tibetan weightlifting, tug-of-war and stone carrying.
The five local horse types
Local horses are classed into five named types, entrants competing within their type and judged differently for pacing and galloping.
The seventh-month meeting
The meeting opens on the tenth day of the seventh Tibetan month and lasts about a month, with herdsmen in festival dress trading and celebrating on the grasslands.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
The racing horses are divided into five categories — Qilin, Jiada, Duwa, Muqing, and Ruou — and in competition the horses are further divided into amblers (zouma) and gallopers (paoma).
Other submitting regions for the same item: Horse Racing Festival · Horse Racing Festival · Horse Racing Festival.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
At present, the Dangjiren Horse Racing Festival of Damxung County has become an important platform for Lhasa City to attract investment and has been endowed with new cultural connotations. Developing the horse racing festival is of great significance for inheriting and promoting the outstanding ethnic culture of Tibet and for filling the gap in research on Tibetan ethnic horse racing. With the improvement of living standards among farmers and herders, specialized horse-breeding households have become fewer and fewer; in addition, most horse trainers are advanced in age, and the younger generation is unwilling to inherit this traditional skill. The Dangjiren Horse Racing Festival, as a traditional folk activity, now faces the crisis of extinction and urgently needs protection.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- Bajie Abulimajin 05-2553
- Zhawa
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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