A villager rides a horse through an alley in Xiadongzhai village, Yangquan, Shanxi province, Feb 20. The village is called Xiadongzhai because Dong Zhuo, a warlord in the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220), stationed his troops there. Originating in the Tang Dynasty (618-907), paomapai (horse racing) was then a way of conveying messages among troops in different regions and has now developed into a unique folk custom performance in the village. [Photo/Xinhua]