Tibet Horse Festival---Tibet Horse Race Tour ----Book Naqu 9 days Horse Race Festival -------Book
Introduction to the Festival 
Yushu and Litang Horse Race Festival annually are two of the largest horse festivals in Tibet. This is also a well-designed cultural expedition to map the eastern frontiers of ancient Tibet Empire. You will have chances to encounter with the colorful Amdo, Kham, Gulok and Gyarong ethnic groups of Tibetan people, also visit each group’s homelands, their cultural and spiritual places the magnificent monasteries and sacred mountains. Moreover, we will take part in their celebrations of the two festivals.
On this trip you get a chance to explore the stunning scenery and beautiful monasteries of mysterious Tibet. Many places you visit have remained unchanged for hundreds of years. The Horse Festival, an annual gathering of between 2,000-3,000 horses and riders living in tents on the open grassland. This festival is an annual harvest celebration, when people meet and riders compete in races and enjoy music, dancing and feasting as well.
Introduction to Yushu
Yushu Tibet Autonomous Prefecture is located in southern Qinghai province on the northern Tibetan Plateau. Yushu has a population of 280,000 people and is over 95% Tibetan. Yushu is one of the most remote areas in Tibet being over 500 miles (800km) from Xining (capital of Qinghai) and over 750 miles (1200km) from both Lhasa and Chengdu. Yushu is not connected by air or by train. The only way to get there is by sleeper bus. Yushu Tibet Autonomous Prefecture is famous across Tibet for containing the headwaters of three of Asia's greatest rivers. The Mekong (Lancang Jiang in Chinese), Yellow River and Yangtze all start in Yushu.
Living conditions are harsh as winters are long and cold. Snow can fall in these counties well into summer. These areas average over 270 freezing days per year. Due to the high altitude and freezing temperatures little can grow in this area. Farmers, with the aid of insulated greenhouses, are able to grow a few crops such as barley and potatoes.
Yushu is one of the best regions of Tibet to see real authentic Tibetan culture. Because Yushu is so remote, the long bus ride and poor conditions keep most travelers away. The Tibetans of Yushu are also famous for their dancing and for their annual horse festivals held each summer, one of the largest in Tibet.
Yushu Horse Festival
The weeklong spectacular Horse Festival commences on July 25, on a grassy plain south of town. Colourful Tibetan tents surround the racecourse where more than 10,000 people converge to barter and enjoy the celebrations at this Horse Racing Festival. Shows of horsemanship skills, including archery on horseback and racing, are the main theme. Of course the Tibetans never call for the day without singing and dancing. The Tibetans bring their traditional nomadic tent made of black yak hair tents and these colourful applique affairs are sometimes bigger than houses. Best time to visit is summer. The weeklong spectacular Horse Festival commences on July 25 each year.
Kham Horse Festival
The Kham region of Tibet is one of 5 traditional regions of the Tibetan plateau. These regions of the plateau make up Tibet, regardless of which Chinese province they technically lie in. Kham, the southeastern portion of the Tibetan plateau, is the most populated region of Tibet and is home to nearly 40% of the Tibetan population of China. This tour provides a unique, refreshing, and authentic experience compared to the mostly Chinese and heavily toured Lhasa region.
Kham is the remote and rugged region of Eastern Tibet characterized by high mountains, deep alpine river gorges, spectacular fortress homes and vast rolling alpine green pastures where nomads graze their yak herds. When the Khampa men of this region strayed outside their homeland, they were held in awe and fear, for they were the tough horsemen warriors of Tibet. Recent history has wrought changes to the culture and traditions of these people but horses still play an important part in their lives. Thus, in the summer months, the communities of this region gather together for their annual celebration, when their horsemen race their sturdy steeds and show off their equine skills, with much dancing and singing to embellish the event.
This year we have been invited to attend a traditional horse festival as special guests of a monastery in the heart of Kham, very much away from any tourist trail. This is a unique opportunity and we are sure to be welcomed by the local community. In addition we will also see Tibetan homes, nomads, ancient monasteries, magnificent scenery, carpets of wild flowers, pandas…and, of course, it’s always an adventure up on the roof of the world!
Participants will also have the opportunity to spend 4 days photographing the Jyekundo-Yushu Horse Festival while living along side the locals in Tibetan-style tents. This is the largest horse festival in all of Tibet. More than 20,000 Tibetans from the surrounding grasslands will converge on the Jyekundo-Yushu Horse Festival.
Content of the Festival
Tibet Horse Festival is a traditional and high-class festival in the Tibet
steppe. Tens of thousands herdsmen dressing gorgeous clothes will bring highland barley liquor, yogurt, tents with beautiful patterns and racing horses flooding into the race track from everywhere. Except horse racing, toxophily and equestrianism, weightlifting, tug-of-war, rap performance are also held here. Sometimes there will be a large-scale goods exchange. Horse racing is an activity beloved by Tibetan people, for it is not only an assemblement for leisure time and exchanging farming experience, but also a show of horse racing spirit of local people.
Horsing racing has its directly link to Tibetan people’s religion and customs. Their belief reflects on the psycological level. And the custom of Horsing racing has close connection with religional consciousness of local nationality. We can see tibetan Buddhism has great influences on its people’s history, culture and daily life. As a result, you will see this side in the festival.
Since ancient times, horse is linked neatly with Tibetan meterial chase and spirit desire. Tibetan has a deep and rich feeling on horse, the closest company in their daily life. Horse is the life of herdsmen. Loving horse is human nature of them. No matter farming, hiking or wedding, they will always have a ride on their favourite horse. Horse racing is the main content of their entertainment. So, horse racing is a vital part of their festivals and this has become a featuring custom of Tibetan nationality.
Horse Racing on the grassland has been divided into long term race, short term race, shooting on the horseback and equestrianism, etc. Distance of long term is about 310km and the rider is usually a teenager whose weight has little influence on the speed of horse. Before the race, a aged and reputated Lama will give his blessing to all the riders. Once the gunshot, dozens even hundred horses will dash themselves to the finishing line at great speed. Other herdsmen will be crowded to cheer them on. The champion of the race will win a horse or the equal prize. What’ more, he will win the glory of the people’ s blessing and best wishes. Wherever he go,he will always be treated like a VIP. The loser will also win an award: people will hang a strand of horse manure and mock him as “the horse manure picker”.
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