The Nagchu Horse Racing Festival begins around 1 August each year and lasts from several days to two weeks. It is the biggest horse festival in Tibet, and for the nomads of northern Tibet it is one of the most important events of the year.
The Tent City
Every year nomad families from all over the Nagchu grassland come to town to race their horses, meet friends and trade. They set up a huge tent city on the grassland north of Nagchu town. People wear their best clothes and jewellery, and the horses are dressed in their finest saddles and decorations.
August is the best month on the Nagchu grassland: fresh wind, rain at night and bright sunshine by day. Thousands of tents fill the green plain, and for a week or two they are home to tens of thousands of nomads and their families.
Festival Activities
Horse racing — riders in traditional dress race across the grassland in front of huge crowds.
Archery — riders shoot at targets while riding at full gallop, one of the most exciting sights of the festival.
Wrestling and strength contests — tug-of-war, stone lifting and other tests of strength.
Song and dance — circle dances and Tibetan opera fill the evenings.
Yak racing — yaks are not built for speed, which makes these races great fun to watch.
Trading fair — the festival is still an important market for horses, tools and everyday goods.
Tips for Visiting
There are contests for adults and children, and for racing, shooting, singing and dancing, so something is happening all day.
Even outside the festival, June to August is the best time to see the Nagchu grassland, when it is green and the weather is mild.
Accommodation: hotels in Nagchu town fill up fast around the festival. Book at least two months ahead. Nagchu is at about 4,500 m, so plan several days in Lhasa first. Ask us before you plan your trip around the festival, as dates and access for foreign visitors can change from year to year.
