County in Guizhou fuses horse business with ethnic culture

Racehorses are going steam ahead. [Photo by Convergence Media Center of Sandu county/Provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The Sandu Sui autonomous county in Guizhou province has developed the "Guizhou Village Horse" brand by fusing ethnic culture with the horse business, drawing on a long history of horse breeding and a unique equestrian culture.

The public participates in horse races routinely hosted by the county, such as the Village Horse Racing Competition and the Duanjie Horse Racing Invitational Tournament.

The "Guizhou Village Horse" initiative has encouraged a fusion of sports and cultural events with tourism, becoming a major engine for the growth of high-quality tourism in Sandu.

Tourists enjoy a long-table banquet. [Photo by Convergence Media Center of Sandu county/provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

During the holiday season, 356 racehorses and more than 200 riders participated in the region's 23 regular weekend horse races and 30 national horse races. Additionally, exhibitions of Sui tribal folk culture were integrated into the races, creating a unique tourism experience that combined races, festivals and ethnic culture.

Based on the culture of the Sui ethnic group, "Guizhou Village Horse" creatively incorporated events such as a bonfire celebration and equestrian performances. Over 350,000 visitors came to Sandu for this year's National Day, a 14.09 percent increase from the previous year. The total revenue from tourism reached nearly 240 million yuan ($33.74 million), representing a 19.36 percent year-on-year increase.

Performance of equestrian skill. [Photo by Convergence Media Center of Sandu county/provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Tourists enjoy a long-table banquet. [Photo by Convergence Media Center of Sandu county/provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Yang Xutong contributed to this story.