Nagqu Horse Racing Festival
Held around August 10th, this festival is the most magnificent in north Tibet. In the golden season of grassland, tens of thousands of herdsmen from various parts of Tibet, in their holiday best, come to Nagqu on their horses with various kinds of goods and materials. They put up tents in the southern part of Nagqu town. During the festival, thousands of tents with painting of all kinds of Buddhas will be set up in the area, lasting for miles. It makes the grassland look like a small town.
In the evening when the setting sun dyes the grassland golden, smokes will rise from these tents; horses will be drinking by the lake freely; children will be playing by the flocks of sheep; boys and girls will be dancing Sgor-gzhas (Tibetan group dance) and everyone is enjoying themselves.
On the day for the opening ceremony of the festival, people from all over the Tibet will pour into this grassland. Colorful flags are flying against the blue sky; horses are racing, herdsmen are showing their riding skills; some are shooting arrows; some are doing wrestling; some are dancing. People around the “tent town” will be cooking and drinking. This is really a grand and lively picture that you should not miss.
After the grand opening ceremony, various recreational and trade activities will start, such as horserace, yak race, tug-of-war, carrying rocks, doing Sgor-gzhas, and performing Tibetan operas. All together, these activities will last 3 to 7 days.
The horse racing festival has a long history. It originates from the ancient military review in the Tubo tribe in the region. It is also the traditional occasion for horse trade. The buying and selling of horses at these fairs attracts Tibetans from near and far. Nowadays, the local government also attaches great importance to the occasion and considers it a good chance to promote the economic development in the region. Business talks are held and modern activities like fashion show can also be seen there. It has become a bright highlight in the tourism of Tibet.