Lassoing heritage on snowy steppe

Photo taken on Jan. 16, 2026 shows a rider performing traditional horse-lassoing on the Ulan Butong Grassland in Hexigten Banner, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Breaking the winter silence with pounding hooves, the rider—wearing a fox-fur hat and a dark red robe—casts a taut lasso that arcs like a silver snake and lands precisely on a galloping horse. More than a popular cultural tourism performance, the scene reflects the living continuation of an age-old nomadic skill. As herders gain income and visitors carry lasting memories, the lasso becomes a link between tradition and modern life. Here, grassland culture is not a static exhibit, but a heritage alive in motion—raised against the snow, balanced on horseback, and breathing with the times. (Li Fu/Guangming Picture)

Photo taken on Jan. 16, 2026 shows a rider performing traditional horse-lassoing on the Ulan Butong Grassland in Hexigten Banner, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Breaking the winter silence with pounding hooves, the rider—wearing a fox-fur hat and a dark red robe—casts a taut lasso that arcs like a silver snake and lands precisely on a galloping horse. More than a popular cultural tourism performance, the scene reflects the living continuation of an age-old nomadic skill. As herders gain income and visitors carry lasting memories, the lasso becomes a link between tradition and modern life. Here, grassland culture is not a static exhibit, but a heritage alive in motion—raised against the snow, balanced on horseback, and breathing with the times. (Li Fu/Guangming Picture)