The Sixth Hongyan Culture and Arts Festival kicked off on Monday at the township of Bayin Wulan, Urat Middle Banner, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. The annual event, which stretches over the three months of summer, showcases the athletic prowess and vigor of the Mongol ethnic people. It includes a number of activities such as wrestling and archery competitions, a 15-kilometer horse race and a contest on lassoing horses. Besides a dazzling display of athletic skills, the festival is also a reflection of Inner Mongolians' love for singing and dancing. Men and women move in their traditional clothes while chanting traditional grassland songs. They also celebrate this fair by drinking Mongolian liquors and eating traditional food such as roasted lamb and boiled mutton. (By CGTN's Ma Qingke and Lyne Lin)