Kyrgyz Horse-Riding and Traditional Hunting Arts Displayed at Issyk-Kul Folk Festival
Dragon Media News Desk
A folk festival held on the southern shore of Kyrgyzstan’s Issyk-Kul Lake featured horse-riding, mounted archery, traditional hunting with eagles and a variety of folk music performances.
According to Xinhua, the festival, held in Bokonbaevo village on August 1, brought together aspects of Kyrgyz nomadic life, livestock culture and folk traditions passed down through generations. A series of photographs released from the event showed performers in traditional dress demonstrating skills associated with horses, trained hunting birds and local musical instruments.
One of the festival’s main attractions was a demonstration of traditional hunting with a golden eagle. A Kyrgyz eagle hunter, wearing protective gloves and traditional clothing, displayed close coordination with the large bird. In another group performance, horse riders entered the arena carrying trained hunting birds, bringing an old Kyrgyz hunting tradition to life.
Training and using birds of prey has long been part of the nomadic heritage of Central Asian communities. Bokonbaevo and the southern Issyk-Kul region are known as places where such traditions are still practiced and publicly demonstrated. Local tourism organizations also promote the area as a destination where visitors can experience horse-riding, nomadic culture and eagle-hunting displays.
Horse riders demonstrated the ability to lean far to one side of a galloping horse, lower themselves from the saddle and regain balance. They also displayed mounted archery skills. Some performers staged dramatic acts involving coordination between several horses, while a special presentation featuring fire drew strong attention from spectators.
Women also played a prominent role in the festival. A performer dressed in a bright blue costume demonstrated her balance while riding between two fast-moving horses. Spectators gathered around the arena to watch the riders’ daring skills and cultural performances.
In another event, a rider wearing a traditional Kyrgyz hat and embroidered clothing fired a bow while riding at speed. Mounted archery requires riders to control the horse, maintain physical balance and focus on a target at the same time. Xinhua reported that horse-riding and hunting demonstrations were among the festival’s principal activities.
A trainer in traditional clothing also presented a long-haired hunting dog during another demonstration. The display reflected the role of trained dogs alongside horses and eagles in the traditional Kyrgyz hunting system.
The festival included folk music as well as equestrian and hunting performances. A female musician played a traditional stringed instrument, presenting a quieter and more creative aspect of Kyrgyz cultural life alongside the fast-paced riding displays.
Performers wore white Kyrgyz hats, embroidered garments, leather belts and traditional riding equipment associated with national identity. During a group equestrian presentation, riders entered the arena carrying the national flag.
The Issyk-Kul region is known not only for its natural beauty but also as an important cultural center of Kyrgyz nomadic civilization. The performances in Bokonbaevo highlighted the connection between traditional ways of life and modern cultural tourism.
The photographic series released by Xinhua portrayed the festival not merely as entertainment, but as a cultural platform for presenting horse-riding, folk music, traditional hunting knowledge and community identity to younger generations and international audiences.
