Ecological achievements in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region

Mongolian Horse Protection

Horses are important in Mongolian culture, which has more than 300 words for horses and a further 200 just for their color.

Herdsmen take part in a horse racing on the prairie at Xilinhot, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, July 2, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

To preserve the endangered Mongolian horse and inherit the horse culture, protection efforts were made. In 2011, the region set up three breeding bases for Mongolian horses with a total investment of 18 million yuan per year to preserve Mongolian horses. Such protection efforts have seen the number of horses in Inner Mongolia increase 25 percent in a decade, reaching 880,000 last year. Horse-related events are also increasing in the region.

Girls ride horses on the prairie at Xilinhot, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, July 2, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]