A rider performs during the opening ceremony of the 2026 Nagchu Horse Racing Festival at Gesar Racecourse in Nagchu, Xizang autonomous region. [Photo/Xizang Daily]

The 2026 Nagchu Horse Racing Festival opened on Aug 10 at the Gesar Racecourse in Nagchu, Xizang autonomous region, which sits at an altitude of 4,500 meters.

Art troupes from Nagchu's 11 counties and districts, along with equestrian teams from Sichuan, Qinghai, and Yunnan provinces, as well as Xizang, performed at the opening ceremony. Traditional events, including picking up hada scarves from horseback and walking horse competitions, were also staged.

After going through a series of warm-up activities from Aug 1 to 9, the main festival is running from Aug 10 to 13, featuring 13 professional speed horse-racing events and two traditional equestrian performances.

Other activities include traditional sports, livestock breed evaluation competitions, a caterpillar fungus auction, a food culture festival, and a plateau grassland music event.

Rooted in the long-standing horse-racing traditions of North Xizang's grasslands, the Nagchu Horse Racing Festival is associated with cultural traditions linked to the Epic of King Gesar.

The event was officially standardized in 1993 and was included in the fifth batch of national intangible cultural heritage items in 2021.

A rider performs during the opening ceremony of the 2026 Nagchu Horse Racing Festival. [Photo/Xizang Daily]

Artists perform during the opening ceremony of the 2026 Nagchu Horse Racing Festival. [Photo/Xizang Daily]