Mongolian herdsman ride red camels in snow-covered Gobi Desert to welcome the New Year

Mesmerising pictures show Mongolian herdsmen riding rare red camels in snow-covered Gobi Desert at a folk festival to welcome the New Year

  • Ethnic herders performed the traditional ritual at the weekend during a folk festival in northern China
  • They were accompanied by their beloved red camels, a protected species unique to the far-flung area
  • Herdsmen also took part in popular games, such as camel racing and camel hockey, to embrace 2020
  • Red camels were on the brink of extinction, but have grown to 50,000 in number thanks to conservation 

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Breath-taking photographs have captured how Mongolian herdsmen welcomed the New Year in their traditional way: by riding camels across snow-covered Gobi Desert.

The ethnic herders, who live in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in northern China, performed the time-honoured ritual at the weekend during a folk festival in the far-flung Ulan Buh Desert, which is part of the Gobi.

They were accompanied by their beloved red camels, a type of camel unique to the region and protected by the Chinese authorities.

The drone picture shows a team of herdsman guiding a team of red camels across the Ulan Buh Desert on Sunday in China

The trek in the snow-covered Gobi Desert was part of the Winter Tourism Ecological Cultural Festival at Urad Rear Banner

The trek in the snow-covered Gobi Desert was part of the Winter Tourism Ecological Cultural Festival at Urad Rear Banner

The festival took place in Bayannur, a prefecture-level city in western Inner Mongolia on the border of Mongolia and China

The festival took place in Bayannur, a prefecture-level city in western Inner Mongolia on the border of Mongolia and China

Herdsmen donning traditional costumes guided the ships of the desert across the vast land with instructions in Mongolian

Herdsmen donning traditional costumes guided the ships of the desert across the vast land with instructions in Mongolian

The pictures were taken during the Winter Tourism Ecological Cultural Festival at Urad Rear Banner in Bayannur, a prefecture-level city in western Inner Mongolia.

The event was organised to help the locals and tourists celebrate the upcoming 2020.

Some herdsmen who donned traditional costumes guided the ships of the desert across the vast land with instructions in Mongolian while others took part in popular games, such as camel racing and camel hockey.

One spectator, named Duan Yihe, said he was awestruck by the beauty of the desert. 

He told China Tourism News: ‘The glowing red colour of a sunset and the strong and athletic herdsmen were accompanied by the tall and adorable red camels. I could barely take my eyes off the beautiful settings.’

Breath-taking photographs have captured how Mongolian herdsmen welcomed the New Year in their traditional way

Breath-taking photographs have captured how Mongolian herdsmen welcomed the New Year in their traditional way

One spectator, named Duan Yihe, said he was awestruck by the beauty of the desert while participating in the festival in China

One spectator, named Duan Yihe, said he was awestruck by the beauty of the desert while participating in the festival in China

Red camels are an essential part of the daily life for residents from Urad Rear Banner, which is situated on the border of China and Mongolia.

The humped mammals from the region have darker fur than those from other deserts, according to Chinese National Geography. 

Some of them have dark red or even fuchsia hair and the phenomenon has been caused by a fast genetic evolution process, the report said. 

Red camels were once on the brink of extinction. And since the local authority launched a conservation project 15 years ago, the region has seen a growth from 4,130 to 50,000 in the total number of the species.

He said: 'The glowing red colour of a sunset and the strong and athletic herdsmen were accompanied by the tall and adorable red camels. I could barely take my eyes off the beautiful settings.'

He told China Tourism News: ‘The glowing red colour of a sunset and the strong and athletic herdsmen were accompanied by the tall and adorable red camels. I could barely take my eyes off the beautiful settings.’ The festival lasted for two days

Red camels are an essential part of the daily life for residents from Urad Rear Banner and a protected species in the country

Red camels are an essential part of the daily life for residents from Urad Rear Banner and a protected species in the country

Some of them have dark red or even fuchsia hair and the phenomenon has been caused by a fast genetic evolution process

Some of them have dark red or even fuchsia hair and the phenomenon has been caused by a fast genetic evolution process

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