Riding heritage

Qin Hua, director of the polo committee of the equestrian sports association in Xinjiang and deputy secretary-general of the cultural and tourism committee of the region's horse industry association, says pushing polo players to compete not just domestically but also internationally, including in Argentina and England, will help them meet the highest standards.

"At the same time, we can encourage more exchanges and understanding, such as sharing our horse culture and heritage from across the country with our foreign friends during these competitions and related events," says Qin, referring to the rich ethnic equestrian traditions in regions such as Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia.

In 2008, a unique version of polo practiced by ethnic communities in Xinjiang's Tashikurgan Tajik autonomous county was included in a national intangible cultural heritage list, with local authorities subsequently organizing county-level polo games as part of efforts to revive the tradition.

The Tajik ethnic group's games are now held regularly and played on special occasions, such as folk festivals and tourism events, helping to preserve and promote an important part of their heritage.