Villagers in costume beat gongs to cheer those taking part in horse racing, Xiadongzhai village, Yangquan, Shanxi province, Feb 12. Deriving from the Tang Dynasty (618-907), the performance named paomapai or horse racing, was then a way of conveying messages among troops in different regions and has now developed into a unique folk performance. The custom has been handed down for over a thousand years with each man in the village learning it during childhood. [Photo/Xinhua]

A man gets ready to perform paomapai, Xiadongzhai village, Yangquan, Shanxi province, Feb 12. Deriving from the Tang Dynasty (618-907), the event was then a way of conveying messages among troops in different regions and has now developed into a unique folk performance. The custom has been handed down for over a thousand years with each man in the village learning it during childhood. [Photo/Xinhua]