A village horse race league with strong local characteristics has played a significant role in driving development of the regional economy, particularly the tourism sector, in Sandu County of southwest China's mountainous Guizhou Province by drawing hundreds of thousands of tourists to the racecourse to watch the stunning horse races and enjoy the performances of riders.
The "Guizhou Village Horse Race" league at the county level has been in full swing in the Sandu Shui Autonomous County so far in the current summer vacation season, with the viewing spots at the Shuidong Duanpo racecourse in the county packed with tourists.
More than 400 horses and over 200 riders from local villages have been competing on racing tracks. Many riders follow local traditions by racing barefoot without standard saddles, gripping the horse firmly with their legs, showcasing the unique charm of rural horse racing.
"I just watched the horse racing and felt that the ethnic minority Shui people are very positive and vibrant. It moved me to tears," said Xiao Manli, a tourist from Beijing.
Beyond watching the horse races, visitors say they've also found the region's culinary and cultural appeal.
"There is so much delicious food here, including sour soup hotpot, sour soup fish and bean hotpot. Even as a visitor from other regions, I find the food very appealing. The people here are warm and hospitable," said Xia Xia, a tourist from Suzhou City, east China's Jiangsu Province.
Beyond the racecourse, local authorities have leveraged the visitor flow brought by the horse races to provide complementary cultural tourism services, including daytime viewing and nighttime leisure activities.
According to statistics from the Sandu Bureau of Culture and Tourism, from January to July 2026, Sandu received a total of 3.9 million tourist visits, generating over 3.9 billion yuan (about 591 million U.S. dollars) in total tourism revenue.
Village horse racing draws tourists, boosts summer tourism economy in Guizhou
Village horse racing draws tourists, boosts summer tourism economy in Guizhou
