Naadams of Ice and Snow kick off in N. China

HOHHOT, China, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- Naadams of Ice and Snow featuring the winter sports events, kicked off on Saturday in both cities of Hohhot and Hulunbuir, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

Herdsmen dressed in the Mongolian ethnic costumes, staged horse-lassoing performance during the opening ceremony of the Naadam in Hulunbuir, where organizers will host horse racing, ice hockey, skiing, snow motorbike and other events in the following two months.

The maiden Naadam of Ice and Snow in Hohhot will feature camel riding on snow, "Bokh" or Mongolian wrestling, and archery training and competitions.

For most of the events, ethnic elements will be the indispensable ingredients, and the local ethnic minorities are expected to showcase their nomadic culture through the variety of activities, performances and costumes.

In recent years, Inner Mongolia has been promoting its winter tourism through carnivals on the grassland.

The most popular events such as Naadams of Ice and Snow, have attracted more and more tourists to come and have a taste of the distinctive culture and life styles on the prairie. Enditem