On a bluestone road, performers in ancient Chinese costumes charge on horses, stretching their arms and shouting all the way through.
The audience stands shoulder to shoulder by the road and on rooftops alongside the ancient alley(小巷), cheering together with loud drum beats in Xiadongzhai village, in the city of Yangquan in northern China's Shanxi province.
"It is a custom that has lasted for over 1,000 years, and represents the martial(尚武)spirit," said Yuan Yuxiang, Party secretary of the village.
In the Tang Dynasty (公元618年——公元907年), Xiadongzhai was a military relay station, where army messengers found food, shelter and spare horses before moving on to their next destination.
The process of transferring horses and leaving the station was later adapted into a folk performance held once a year, on the day after Lantern Festival.
Many are attracted by the boldness and skills of the riders, who do not use saddles(马鞍)or stirrups during the high-speed charge.
Over the years, the performance has become the most celebrated event in the village.
"No matter how far people are from home, or how busy they are, they try their best to return home for the fair on that day," Yuan said.
This year, nearly 10,000 people gathered on the road, which is 100 meters long and 4 meters wide, to watch the performance.
