The first national traditional horseback archery competition has drawn riders from across China and abroad to Inner Mongolia in the north during the National Day holiday from Oct 1-7, as the sport is now listed for the 2030 Doha Asian Games.
The event, which kicked off last Thursday in the border city of Erenhot and ran through the week-long National Day holiday. The competition comprises three major tournaments: the inaugural National Mongolian Horse Super League, the National Mounted Archery Tour, and the Erenhot International Masters Tournament.
Together, they drew more than 150 domestic riders from 22 provincial-level regions, alongside 139 competitors from 23 countries and regions, competing across five major disciplines: horseback archery, endurance racing, horse racing relay, horse racing, and trick riding.
The mounted archery event requires competitors to nock arrows and draw bows while their horses gallop at top speed, hitting targets within seconds amid intense motion.
"This is my first time participating in such a large-scale international competition. I feel it quite rewarding to be able to perform near my usual level under such intense competitive pressure," said Sun Fu'an, a Chinese rider.
International players also shared their impressions of the grassland.
"It's very exotic. I've never been to China before. And here, Inner Mongolia is really beautiful with an exceptionally vast expanse of land. It's not at all what I'm used to at home. I'm very happy to be here," said Manon Depas, a Belgian competitor.
Having secured a spot as a competition event at the 2030 Doha Asian Games, mounted archery is emerging as a growing segment in equestrian sports.
At present, China has over 100 mounted archery clubs and 22 standardized training bases. The country's archery competition system is also improving.
"The traditional and cultural traditions from China are really appreciated there. So we in IHAA, we promote and develop this traditional sport to bring up to ... our goal is to make it Olympic," said Alan Le Gall, president of the International Horseback Archery Alliance.
The tournaments also serve a practical purpose for livestock development, organizers said.
"We need suitable competitions, tailored specifically for domestic horses and Mongolian horses, to showcase their significance and value," said Wu Gangfang, president of the horse culture sports committee under the China Ethnic Sports Association.
China's first traditional horseback archery competition draws global riders to Inner Mongolia
China's first traditional horseback archery competition draws global riders to Inner Mongolia
After more than three months at sea, members of China's 16th Arctic Ocean expedition have jointly created a painting that captures both the triumphs and trials of polar scientific research.
Organized by the Ministry of Natural Resources, the expedition deployed four ships, Xuelong, Xuelong 2, Jidi, and Tansuo 3, to study extreme environmental changes in the Arctic against the backdrop of accelerating global warming. On September 29, Xuelong and Xuelong 2 returned to Shanghai after completing their missions.
During the voyage, China Media Group (CMG) reporters aboard Xuelong invited nearly 100 crew members to collaborate on a canvas, sharing their experiences. The painting depicts the difficulties and challenges they faced, the honors and expectations of their research, and the images of those dedicated to science.
Before any crew member ever picked up a brush, the Arctic had already sketched the background with its extreme weather. Strong winds, torrents, and a harsh environment posed major challenges for the researchers.
"After staying outside for some five or ten minutes, our hands would already be frozen red. When we reached the trough of the waves [on a boat], it would look as if the waves were coming right over our heads," recalled Zhu Chengwei, an expedition member.
Despite the hardship, the researchers successfully tested and used domestically produced advanced ocean observation equipment in polar research -- one of their proudest moments, which they recorded on the canvas.
Qin Chuan, captain of the Xuelong ocean team, chose to paint a domestically produced monitor float.
"This is an Argo float we deployed, which automatically monitors ocean profiles. It has great significance for understanding the basic marine environment, and it's made in China," he said.
Xie Haixiang, director of the Xuelong laboratory, sketched a fundamental research equipment for the trip.
"I will draw a CTD (Conductivity, Temperature, and Depth instrument). The CTD is the most important equipment for ocean surveys, providing the most basic data and water samples," he said.
"Only by carrying equipment onto the Arctic sea ice yourself and lowering the instruments, can you get what you want. For instance, we take a little ocean water, and analyze what's in it, to understand the changes each year. Global warming needs to be understood through different dimensions," recalled researcher Zhu.
Beyond the canvas, what stands out even more striking are the moments of dedication: veteran members leading newcomers onto the ice, a group holding its ground in level-8 gales and heavy snow, and 30 people relaying to recover equipment stuck in the ice.
The most important element, beyond any record or image in the painting, is this group of expedition members who fear no hardship.
"Whenever I think of the polar spirit, countless images of those standing at the very front would flash before my eyes," Zhu said.
"What we have done today will benefit future generations. Although we are doing something that may seem very insignificant, I believe it will surely prove its worth in the future,"said Ning Wenfeng, another team member.
China's 16th Arctic expedition crews paint portrait of proud polar expedition moments, hardships
