The Nadam fair held in summer and winter every year traces its history back to the age of Genghis Khan in the 13th century. Zhang Ling / For China Daily

The annual gathering has now grown in form and scale. It is also open to any ethnic or religious group. Even foreigners can participate.

More activities such as sacrificial rites, car racing and trade are included in the event, but the three traditional games of wrestling, horse racing and archery are still the most popular in the weeklong celebration.

Unlike other wrestling matches, the local contest has no weight divisions and the one who falls first loses. It has few rules except for prohibitions on dragging legs, punching in the face, pulling hair and biting.

Archery is an ancient sport in the region that originated in the 11th century. Contestants shoot arrows made from willow branches and vulture feathers to a round targets with gray, yellow or red rings.

The festival also has various kinds of horse races.

A large Nadam will have 300 horses chosen to compete and lasts up to 10 days, while the smallest will be three to five days with about 50 horses in the competition.

It was placed on the list of national intangible cultural heritage in 2006.

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