Political propaganda in Tibetan equestrian festivals

The Yushu horse festival is one of the largest gatherings in Tibet and honors a local breed of horses adapted to difficult terrain. Beyond traditional races and dances, these equestrian events serve as propaganda objectives for the Chinese authorities. They aim to demonstrate that Tibetan culture is thriving, in contradiction with the claims of the Dalai Lama and other critics. The 2016 edition of this festival, which was held in February, thus gathered several tens of thousands of spectators.