Wrestlers perform during the opening ceremony of the Naadam Festival in Xilingol League, North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, on July 20, 2025. Photo: Xue Ke/GT

At the ongoing Naadam Festival in the Xilingol League, North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, I moved through crowds of people in Mongolian robes, past young riders on horseback and rows of wrestlers preparing to compete. The sounds of archery, throat singing, and cheers filled the air. It wasn't just a local celebration - people had come from across China and around the world.

The opening ceremony on Saturday set the tone for the entire festival as 512 wrestlers marched out in formation, steady, powerful, and proud. On main stage, the melodies of the morin khuur, or the horsehead fiddle, throat singing, and long tunes blended in harmony; offstage, children tapped their feet to the rhythm in the prairie dust. 

"Compared with past years, there are more interactive zones and activities this time. It really feels like a celebration you can walk into," Naheya, a staff member from the Xilingol government, told the Global Times. 

According to Naheya, 18 experience zones spread the festivities across the grounds, allowing visitors to not just watch, but truly join in. 

I also changed into a traditional Mongolian robe, posed for photos with other tourists, tried my hand at archery, and even joined Mongolian wrestling. It was through these hands-on experiences that I began to feel what it meant for each person to become a part of the festival.

By the wrestling field, I met professional shuaijiao (a type of traditional Chinese wrestling) wrestler Lavell Marshall from the US. A world champion and five-time US national champion in shuaijiao, Marshall has lived in China for over six years. This was his second time competing at Naadam.

"I came to train in shuaijiao," he told the Global Times. 

"But then I discovered Mongolian wrestling. It opened up a whole new world for me."

"You can really see more folks getting interested, not just in the matches, but in the culture behind them." 

For him, Mongolian wrestling is more than a sport, it's a way to connect with history and community. 

"It's not just about winning, it's about putting on a good show, sharing the energy, and respecting the grassland tradition."

His journey from the US to China is both personal and part of a growing global movement. 

"Being here at Naadam feels like stepping into living history," he said. "It's amazing that this tradition is now reaching people far beyond its roots."

That global reach was echoed in other corners of the festival too. Near the archery range, I spoke with Haila, a traditional Mongolian archer.

"This is my second time competing," he told the Global Times. 

"I first joined the archery club at school and gradually trained for nearly two years. Mongolian archery is quite different from what you see in the inland regions of China - the arrows here are flat-headed, with special tips meant for hitting leather targets." 

Haila explained the craftsmanship of his own bow, made of wood, bone, and snakeskin, and the careful ­maintenance required due to temperature and humidity. 

"Beyond the competitions, people can explore traditional clothing, crafts, food. It really opens up our culture," Naheya noted.

In another exhibition zone, I met Tong Xiuli, a practitioner of Inner Mongolia's traditional wheat straw painting, a local intangible cultural heritage. 

"Each piece takes 18 steps," she told the Global Times. 

"From selecting the straw to dyeing, burning, assembling, it's all done by hand. Our local scenes and symbols are captured through layers of this intricate work." 

"It takes patience," she said, "but it's a joy to show it to more people during the festival."

Among the many visitors were Zhang Lazi and Duan Liying, two tourists who stumbled upon the festival while traveling from East China's Anhui Province. 

"We didn't even know Naadam was happening until we arrived," Zhang told the Global Times. 

"But the weather is perfect, the ­grassland is beautiful, it feels like the best year for the prairie in recent memory." 

Duan added, "This is the kind of place working people dream of, clear skies, wide-open fields, and the kind of peace you can't find in the city."

From traditional wrestling to archery, from folk crafts to shared meals under open skies, this year's Naadam isn't just a showcase - it's a celebration that invites everyone to take part. As the grassland wind swept past, carrying the sounds of laughter, drums, and galloping hooves, I was reminded again: This isn't just a tradition to watch, it's one to live.

The author is a reporter with the Global Times. life@globaltimes.com.cn