Horse Racing Festival
01 · Historical Records
The Yushu horse racing festival is one of the traditional recreational activities of the Yushu region; its origins can be traced back to the height of the Tubo (Tibetan) Kingdom, more than 1,300 years ago.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
The traditional Yushu horse racing festival is held each year from late July to early August on the Zhaxike Grassland. The festival opens with the ancient custom of burning cypress and offering sang (incense) to heaven and the deities, followed by the entrance ceremonies of the religious processions, song-and-dance troupes, and mounted contingents. The main events include archery from horseback, shooting from horseback, snatching khata (ceremonial scarves) at a gallop, handstands on horseback, and hanging from the horse at a gallop; in addition there are long-distance horse races, ambling-horse (zouma) races, yak races, and a rich variety of traditional folk songs, dances, and ethnic costume performances. The Yushu horse racing festival is an important means of carrying forward the fine traditional culture of the Tibetan people and a grand gathering of the folk culture of the Yushu region. In this setting, the herding masses directly take part in cultural and recreational activities, so that this grand event, bearing a profound accumulation of history and culture, has a distinct ethnic and folk character and a broad popular foundation. With changes in agricultural and pastoral production, most horse trainers are now advanced in years, and few young people are taking up the traditional skills of the horse racing festival.
Opening with juniper smoke
The meeting opens with the ancient rite of burning juniper to honour the gods, followed by the entry of religious escorts, dance troupes and horsemen.
Snatching scarves and standing in the saddle
Chief equestrian events in which riders snatch scarves or stand and hang from the saddle at full gallop.
Shooting from horseback
A traditional event in which riders fire at targets from galloping horses, continuing the grassland tradition of mounted shooting.
Pacing race and long-distance gallop
The meeting's two horse races, one judging gait and the other testing speed and stamina over a long grassland course.
Yak racing
A distinctive event of the meeting in which riders drive yaks in a race alongside the horse events.
Costume and song-dance displays
The meeting gathers Yushu's folk culture in displays of traditional song, dance and Tibetan costume.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
The Yushu horse racing festival is popular in Yushu City, Chenduo County, Zadoi County, Zhidoi County, Nangqian County, and Qumalai County under the Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Qinghai Province, with the greatest concentration on the Zhaxike Grassland on the outskirts of Yushu City, the prefectural seat. From late July to early August each year, herders from each county come to the gathering in teams organized by township and village community, and the monasteries also send religious ceremonial processions, forming a grand grassland gathering centered on Jiegu. Yushu lies at the junction of Qinghai, Tibet, and Sichuan, with a deep accumulation of Kham Tibetan culture; the horse racing festival preserves the ancient style of the "Yaji" horse racing of the Tubo period while also bringing together the songs, dances, costumes, and horsemanship of each county. When the township mounted teams enter the grounds they are arrayed in tribal order; the riders carry waisted swords and fire steels, and the horses are adorned with colored silks and bronze bells. Herding communities pitch tents and set up stalls around the venue, trading butter, tsampa, cordyceps, and pulu (Tibetan woolen cloth). The Yushu horse racing festival is popular in Yushu City, Chenduo County, Zadoi County, Zhidoi County, Nangqian County, and Qumalai County under the Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Qinghai Province, with the greatest concentration on the Zhaxike Grassland on the outskirts of Yushu City, the prefectural seat. From late July to early August each year, herders from each county come to the gathering in teams organized by township and village community, and the monasteries also send religious ceremonial processions, forming a grand grassland gathering centered on Jiegu. Yushu lies at the junction of Qinghai, Tibet, and Sichuan, with a deep accumulation of Kham Tibetan culture; the horse racing festival preserves the ancient style of the "Yaji" horse racing of the Tubo period while also bringing together the songs, dances, costumes, and horsemanship of each county. When the township mounted teams enter the grounds they are arrayed in tribal order; the riders carry waisted swords and fire steels, and the horses are adorned with colored silks and bronze bells. Herding communities pitch tents and set up stalls around the venue, trading butter, tsampa, cordyceps, and pulu (Tibetan woolen cloth). The racing events emphasized by the teams of each county differ: the pastoral areas mostly compete in galloping races and archery from horseback, while the agricultural-pastoral pastures excel in ambling-horse (zouma) races and yak races. The festival generally lasts several days: horse racing, archery, and khata-snatching by day; Guozhuang circle dancing and mountain songs among the tents by night, when young men and women meet and court one another. Local people also treat the racing festival as a trading occasion, exchanging butter and tsampa for tea, salt, and cloth; with tents stretching in unbroken rows around the venue, a temporary grassland market forms and lasts for as long as half a month.
Other submitting regions for the same item: Horse Racing Festival · Horse Racing Festival · Horse Racing Festival.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
Today in the Yushu region, whether worshipping mountain deities, welcoming or seeing off guests, or holding a wedding, a horse racing festival is staged on every joyous occasion. The Yushu horse racing festival is on the verge 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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