Hohhot to stage 5th Intl Equestrian Festival

A press conference on the fifth Inner Mongolia International Equestrian Festival is held on July 31. According to the conference, the festival will be held on September 21 in Hohhot, North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region. [Photo/people.com]

The fifth Inner Mongolia International Equestrian Festival will kick off in Hohhot, North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, on September 21. 

The promotional video of the festival has been displayed on the screens at Times Square in New York since July.

“For the first time, Inner Mongolia International Equestrian Festival is shown on the screens in the heart of New York City at one of its most recognizable tourist destinations,” said Fan Chunyang, director at the regional management center of archery and equestrian.

Fan noted that the video aims at engaging people around the world to participate in the event. 

At the event, a variety of horse-themed activities will be conducted, including performances at the opening ceremony, a forum on the horse industry and cultural exchanges.

A highlight of the festival is a program named Club 100, in which excellent jockeys will be sent to equestrian contests for cooperation between the festival and 100 equestrian clubs.

Meanwhile, the clubs in 57 cities will offer teenagers public welfare lectures so that more children can develop an interest into equestrianism.

In addition, the festival organizer plans to collaborate with China's online travel agencies, such as Ctrip and Qunar.com, to sell products related to the equestrian festival.

With a theme of opening up and sharing, the event aims to boost the local economy through integrating the sports and tourism industries, while promoting the local tradition of horsemanship and horse culture.

On September 21, the final of a horse racing competition will also be held with 15 awards, including awards for the best horseman and for the best-looking horse.

Horses have been a long-standing icon for nomadic herdsmen on the prairies of Inner Mongolia since ancient times. Therefore, the region, titled "a land on horseback", has been making efforts to promote its ethnic customs as well as economic development through equestrian events.

A Mongolian stringed instrument performance [Photo/people.com]