The village of Xiadong, Shanxi province held its traditional horse race, on Feb 15, an annual highlight and local folk custom that dates back to the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907), with the villagers dressing up like military couriers of old, on the 16th day of the first month of the lunar year on the Chinese calendar, and mounting big horses and galloping along an old lane.

 

This form of "horse racing" was added to the provincial cultural heritage list, in 2013.

 

The village is 7 kilometers to the southeast of the famous Niangziguan Gate, the ninth major gate on the Great Wall.(Photo/Xinhua)