The traditional Mongol national sports festival Naadam is underway in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, bringing in tourists from across China to join in the celebrations and enjoy the wrestling, archery and horse racing competitions.
Naadam means "games" in the Mongolian language. Over the years, Naadam has evolved from the sporting competitions to a festival celebrating the traditions and culture of the Mongol people.
In the Gegentala Grassland scenic area of Siziwang Banner, Ulanqab City, five days of colorful Naadam activities include a Mongolian horse super league, cultural performances, and drone shows.
"I really felt the passion and bravery of the grassland people. It's absolutely stunning," said a visiting tourist.
Inner Mongolia's Ulanqab City has been expanding tourism offerings in recent years, building regional cultural brands. In the first half of 2025, the city received over 13 million visitors.
"We expect about 150,000 visitors for this year's 'Naadam', up 20 percent from last year," said Aronghas, deputy head of the Culture and Tourism Bureau of Siziwang Banner.
In Hinggan League's Ulanmaodu Grassland, alongside the wrestling, horse racing, and archery, visitors can also try other traditional sports.
"I find it mind-blowing and the scale is huge. It's grown from a local herders' event into a large festival attracting visitors from nationwide, even foreigners," said a tourist from Beijing named Yin Guang.
Merging sports with entertainment, this year's festival introduced open-air film screenings on the grassland, offering a unique viewing experience.
"This year's 'Naadam' is Hinggan League's new attempt to integrate culture, tourism, sports, and film. We've upgraded Ulanmaodu Grassland local tourism facilities and introduced varied accommodations from traditional yurts to boutique hotels, rural home stays, and themed campsites, along with personalized dining options," said Wang Tianfeng, head of Hinggan League's Culture, Tourism, and Sports Bureau.
Traditional Mongol Naadam festival draws tourists to Inner Mongolia
The Republic of Korea (ROK)'s former impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol on Friday was sentenced to five years in prison on arrest obstruction charges.
The criminal division of the Seoul Central District Court in charge of Yoon's obstruction of justice case handed down the prison sentence to Yoon for abusing the presidential security service to hinder the anti-corruption agency from executing its arrest warrant in January 2025.
The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) was once thwarted in its attempt to arrest Yoon as the presidential security service formed human shields and bus blockades to prevent investigators from entering the presidential residence.
The team of Cho Eun-suk, an independent counsel who led investigations into Yoon's insurrection and other charges, demanded a 10-year prison term for Yoon.
The court said Yoon privatized the presidential security service for personal safety and private interests by blocking the law enforcement agencies' lawful execution of an arrest warrant and attempting to destroy evidence, pointing out that despite the very bad nature of his crime, he consistently offered unconvincing excuses and showed no remorse.
The court stressed that severe punishment was necessary, considering the need to restore the rule of law damaged by Yoon's crime, but it noted that the fact that he was a first-time offender with no criminal record was considered a favorable factor.
The sentencing, which was broadcast live, was Yoon's first verdict coming from his botched martial law bid.
The first-instance sentencing for Yoon's insurrection charges was scheduled for Feb 19. The special counsel sought a death penalty for Yoon on the charges.
Yoon declared emergency martial law on the night of Dec 3 in 2024, but it was revoked hours later by the National Assembly.
The constitutional court upheld a motion to impeach Yoon in April 2025, officially removing him from office.
The ousted leader was indicted while in detention in January 2025 on charges of leading an insurrection, becoming the first sitting ROK president facing such prosecution.
ROK ex-president Yoon sentenced to 5 years in prison on arrest obstruction charges
ROK ex-president Yoon sentenced to 5 years in prison on arrest obstruction charges
