Tibetan herdsmen perform traditional equestrian stunts at a horse racing festival in Litang county, Sichuan province, on Wednesday. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The 2025 Litang "Da Ye" Horse Racing and Cultural Tourism Festival kicked off on Wednesday in Litang county, Garze Tibetan autonomous prefecture, Sichuan province, attracting teams from various townships in the county to stage traditional equestrian performances.

Tibetan herdsmen gather at a horse racing festival in Litang county, Sichuan province, on Wednesday. They are ready to perform traditional equestrian stunts during the event. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The performances include handstands on horseback, hiding under the horse's belly, and picking up hada scarves at full gallop — all hallmarks of Tibetan horsemanship.

The festival, which will run through September, also features fierce horse racing and equestrian competitions, as well as cultural and artistic performances.

The time-honored Litang Horse-racing Festival was included in Sichuan's intangible cultural heritage list in 2008. Litang was awarded the title of "Hometown of Tibetan Horse-racing Culture in China" in 2019 by the China Folk Literature and Art Association.

Tibetan herdsmen perform traditional equestrian stunts at a horse racing festival in Litang county, Sichuan province, on Wednesday. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Tibetan herdsmen perform traditional equestrian stunts at a horse racing festival in Litang county, Sichuan province, on Wednesday. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Tibetan herdsmen perform traditional equestrian stunts at a horse racing festival in Litang county, Sichuan province, on Wednesday. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Tibetan herdsmen perform traditional equestrian stunts at a horse racing festival in Litang county, Sichuan province, on Wednesday. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Tibetan herdsmen perform traditional equestrian stunts at a horse racing festival in Litang county, Sichuan province, on Wednesday. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Tibetan herdsmen perform traditional equestrian stunts at a horse racing festival in Litang county, Sichuan province, on Wednesday. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Tibetan herdsmen gather at a horse racing festival in Litang county, Sichuan province, on Wednesday. They are ready to perform traditional equestrian stunts during the event. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]