Traditional archery

　　Look at that girl concentrating on the bow and arrow. This is traditional archery, a major sport for people in Ledu, northwest China's Qinghai Province.

　　Nanshan Archery, a form of traditional archery, dates back to the 16th century. To resist the intrusion of surrounding tribes, most Tibetans practiced horse-riding and archery, thus developing a unique culture.

　　Later, influenced by Tibetans, other ethnic groups also gradually came to love this sport.

　　Archery can not only strengthen the body, but also provide people spiritual pleasure. Once “everyone could shoot, and every household had a bow.”

　　Each summer, all the towns and villages in the Nanshan area of Ledu stage archery competitions, with each fielding its own team.

　　The archers, dressed in traditional costumes, look dignified on their horses, pull their bowstrings tight and draw a powerful arc in the air. When their arrow hits the bull's eye, competitors embrace the crowd’s cheers.

　　The Nanshan archery competition is also a commodity fair. On the day, many vendors gather from different places, with the audience singing traditional songs.

　　Archery connects people of all ethnic groups.

　　Let’s keep pace with the “Nanshan Archers” in our singing, and watch this great horse-riding and archery competition.

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