Snow settles at the foot of the western Tianshan Mountains until a herder lifts his whip and the silence gives way to motion: a line of horses surges forward, hooves striking powder into white mist. In Zhaosu, a remote county in the Ili River Valley in China's far northwestern Xinjiang, winter brings a spectacle locals call "heavenly horses treading snow".
2026-02-26
On the snow-blanketed plains of Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, Yeersen Shenwohen was leading several teenagers as they struggled upward from the bottom of the ski slope on their narrow skis.
2026-02-26
The Przewalski's horse, a globally endangered species under first-class national protection in China, was once extinct in the wild within the country. In 1985, China launched a reintroduction program, bringing the horses back from abroad for breeding.
2026-02-14
During a recent winter fishing festival at Ulungur Lake in Fuhai county, Altay, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, fish leapt from the frozen lake surface, delighting tourists.
2026-02-10
On the southern foothills of the Altai Mountains, which span Mongolia, Russia, China and Kazakhstan, sits Altay, a small city once little known even to many Chinese. What was once an isolating climate has become Altay's greatest asset, attracting attention for skiing and creating opportunities across a wide range of industries.
2026-01-29