As a sacred flame was ignited in the chilly wind, the 1st Urad Camel Culture Tourism Festival commenced with an assortment of folk customs and sports events, alongside parallel celebration to New Year’s Day on Jan 1.

Officials from the local government attend the opening ceremony of the 1st Urad Camel Culture Tourism Festival held in Urad Rear Banner of Bayannur League, North China’s Inner Mongolia autonomous region on Jan 1. [Photo/people.cn]

The 1st Urad Camel Culture Tourism Festival was held on the grasslands of Urad Rear Banner of Bayannur League, North China’s Inner Mongolia autonomous region.

During the launch ceremony, camel formations paraded on the grasslands for the audience, including an archery squad, the camel polo team, and the camel racing group, who were from Mongolia, Alxa League, Hulunbuir League, Ordos, Baotou, and some other local areas.

The grand festival included camel races, male camel pageants, camel polo games, camel clay sculpture exhibitions, archery matches while riding camels, and camel milking contests.

As a core post along the ancient Silk Road, the Urad grassland was famous for breeding red-fur camels, and the local Urad people have been masters of breeding, raising, and taming of camels since ancient times.

Competitors from a camel polo team form a parade during an event for the 1st Urad Camel Culture Tourism Festival held in Urad Rear Banner of Bayannur League, North China’s Inner Mongolia autonomous region on Jan 1. [Photo/Xinhua]

Known as a “camel town”, Urad Rear Banner contains around 50,000 camels, about 20 percent of China’s total camel population. With an investment of 740 million yuan ($106.4 million), the banner has contributed significant efforts to the protection of camels’ natural environment. The ecological conservation measures have encompassed about 46,700 hectares, and among them 6,667 hectares make up nature reserves for camels.

Thanks to camel festivals, the local agriculture and husbandry industries have been reshaped over the past few years, driving the transformation of related industries, the employment of herdsmen, and even boosting local tourism.

As part of the Bayannur Winter Culture Tourism Festival, the camel gala was sponsored by the Bayannur municipal government and other local departments from Urad Rear Banner.

Three herdsmen ignite a central flame during the opening ceremony of the 1st Urad Camel Culture Tourism Festival held in Urad Rear Banner of Bayannur League, North China’s Inner Mongolia autonomous region on Jan 1. [Photo/people.cn]