The 35th Grassland Naadam Festival of Inner Mongolia is scheduled to open on July 19 in Xiliinhot city, Xiliin Gol League, and will run until mid-August.

This year's event promises a spectacular opening ceremony featuring 512 wrestlers, a galloping horse formation, and air performances with paramotors and light aircraft.

Beyond the traditional "three manly skills" of Mongolian people – wrestling, horse racing, and archery – the festival introduces a junior Naadam, a tourist triathlon, and the inaugural Grassland Football Championship. Twelve themed yurts will showcase intangible cultural heritage products and local agricultural and livestock specialties.

Evening programs include Ulan Muqir performances, starlit concerts, and bonfire parties, along with unique experiences like a "whole roast lamb + handicraft" combo.

In collaboration with herders, the festival's food supply and services, such as Mongolian costume makeovers and photo shoots, are expected to benefit over 200 herding households, with each household projected to earn more than 8,000 yuan ($1,117).

As the permanent summer home of Naadam, Xiliin Gol aims to blend heritage with innovation, targeting over 500,000 out-of-region tourists and over 300 million yuan in tourism revenue.

Spanning 203,000 square kilometers, Xiliin Gol grasslands form part of the world's four major grasslands and boast an average summer temperature of 21C. Known as China's "Horse Capital" and the “Land of Mongolian Long Song", the league's traditional sports are nationally recognized intangible cultural heritages.

According to Liu Pengfei, deputy director of the Inner Mongolia Department of Culture and Tourism, Xiliin Gol will serve as the core zone for developing the "Four-Season Naadam" brand, driving year-round growth.