STORY: Herders move to summer pastures in N China's Inner Mongolia
DATELINE: June 20, 2023
LENGTH: 00:01:41
LOCATION: HOHHOT, China
CATEGORY: SOCIETY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of Ar Horqin grassland and livestock
2. various of herders
3. SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): ERDUN BARTEL, Herdsman
4. various of Ar Horqin grassland
5. SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): ERDUN BARTEL, Herdsman
6. various of Ar Horqin grassland

STORYLINE:

A spectacular nomadic migration is taking place on the Ar Horqin grassland in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

In order to protect the grassland from overgrazing, herders here take their livestock to summer pastures in mid-June every year.

This year, a total of 2,063 households of herders and about 146,100 livestock join in the long journey which takes three days to reach the summer pasture, about 60 km away from the winter pasture.

Erdun Bartel is one of them.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): ERDUN BARTEL, Herdsman
"I'm 51 years old. I used to go to summer pasture with my parents every year when I was a child. In the past, we rode wooden carts pulled by cattle. Now herdsmen drive agricultural diesel vehicles in general. We are saved from suffering. It's quite convenient to migrate as the condition is better."

Besides modern transportation tools and devices such as smartphones and solar panels, the herder can also enjoy food and get medicine supplies provided at rest stations organized by the local government.

SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): ERDUN BARTEL, Herdsman
"Herders care for their pastures. We will insist on maintaining the balance between the carrying capacity of pasture and the number of livestock. I hope life will be better in the future."

The nomadic system of Ar Horqin grassland was formally recognized as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS) by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Hohhot, China.
(XHTV)