The winter ice and snow photography festival held from January 12 to 14 in Xiaohongshanzi village, Inner Mongolia, attracted over 3,000 visitors and celebrated the rich horse culture of the Mongolian ethnic group. The three-day event featured horse-themed performances, competitions, traditional Mongolian singing, dancing, and rituals, vividly showcasing nomadic winter life on the snow-covered grasslands. Highlights included a riders’ parade with 20 riders in traditional attire and a dramatic display of 120 horses galloping across the plains, accompanied by the morin khuur.

Beyond its cultural significance, the festival has become a vital platform for winter tourism and rural revitalization in the village. By integrating horse culture with tourism, it has created new income opportunities for more than 200 local residents involved in horse-riding and related services, boosting average annual incomes by about 15,000 yuan ($2,142). The event not only promotes traditional customs but also supports the community’s livelihood and helps raise awareness of the region’s unique heritage.