China Youth Daily Client News (China Youth Daily·China Youth Daily reporter Shi Jia) On the afternoon of September 21, the volleyball court in Angsu Town, Etuokeqian Banner, Ordos City, Inner Mongolia became lively. Jumping, smashing, and blocking, the cheers from the audience on the sidelines became louder and louder.
On the field, there are herdsmen and their families participating in the battle, husband and wife partners, father and son playing together. Some people’s movements were not professional, and they occasionally made mistakes, but they laughed and bent down first; some people made mistakes and scored a point, and their teammates cheered and cheered. There were cheers and laughter on the sidelines, and the atmosphere was relaxed and warm.
On September 21, at the grassland village volleyball competition in Angsu Town, Etuokeqian Banner, Ordos City, herdsmen players leaped high and smashed the ball hard. Photo by Shi Jia, reporter of China Youth Daily and China Youth Daily
At the side of the court, the herdsman Bayantes took out his mobile phone, and several news about the group’s appointments were constantly refreshing on the screen. “Today, 49 people signed up in a group of 75 people.” He said that there are several such groups on his mobile phone, and they ring non-stop in the evening. “In the past, during the off-season, everyone just drank and played cards.” Bayantes put his phone back in his pocket and followed the volleyball flying on the field. “It’s different now. When I have time, I want to run to the field.”
Outside the stadium, when talking about the development of the grassland “village volleyball team” over the years, founder Ma Hugjilatu started talking. At the age of 59, the herdsmen call him “horse team”.
Grassland “village rows” don’t grow in a day. In the 1960s, the educated youth of Nanjing brought volleyball to this grassland. The young horse teams followed the game and planted a seed in their hearts. After stepping down as director of the village committee in 2017, he pulled up a net on the dirt in front of his house and formed a “Good Neighbors Volleyball Team” with six neighboring households. The team members expanded from six households to 11 households with 14 members.
Ma Hugjilatu, founder of the grassland “Village Platoon”, was interviewed by reporters. Photo by Shi Jia, reporter of China Youth Daily and China Youth Daily
In 2020, he raised his own funds to build the first indoor volleyball hall in Aung Su Town and organized the first “Unity Cup” volleyball competition. The herdsmen followed suit, and the number of teams grew. Taking advantage of the situation, Etuoke Qianqi established a “Village Arrangement Office” to coordinate event organization and venue construction. From the sandy field to the indoor gym, from a few neighbors to the entire 49 teams, the Prairie Village platoon became so popular.
“Initially, I wanted more people to play volleyball, but I didn’t expect the scale to get bigger and bigger.” Ma Hugjilatu said that now everyone doesn’t look at their mobile phones and plays volleyball when they have time. He often tells the herdsmen: “It doesn’t matter whether people have things or not, but they must unite and communicate. If they are healthy, everything will be fine.”
On September 21, at the scene of the grassland village volleyball competition in Angsu Town, Etuokeqian Banner, Ordos City, the herdsmen players concentrated on the incoming ball and were ready to catch the ball. Photo by Shi Jia, reporter of China Youth Daily and China Youth Daily
After the interview, Ma Hugjilatu hurried to participate in the second Hemei Village Air Volleyball Invitational Tournament of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. On the field, he cooperated with his teammates tacitly, passing and spiking the ball in one go. Every time a point is scored, everyone claps and cheers each other up; every time a goal is lost, everyone pats each other on the shoulders and comforts each other.
The permanent population of Aung Su Town is less than 8,000, and more than 5,000 people participate in volleyball. There are 49 volleyball teams for farmers and herdsmen formed spontaneously, and more than 400 volleyball events of various types are held every year.
“Since the grassland village platoon was established, the cohesion of people of all ethnic groups has become stronger.” Ma Hugjilatu said that everyone got together to play ball together in the evening, and some neighbors who had conflicts with each other naturally resolved the conflicts.
On September 21, at the grassland village volleyball competition in Angsu Town, Etuokeqian Banner, Ordos City, farmers and herdsmen of all ethnic groups competed together, and the audience cheered and cheered. Photo by Shi Jia, reporter of China Youth Daily and China Youth Daily
Volleyball teams from farmers and herdsmen from nine provinces including Shaanxi, Ningxia, and Gansu gathered in Angsu Town to play ball and meet friends. Tens of thousands of fans watched the event live. Dong songs, Mongolian dances, and Miao reed dances also appeared on the grassland village volleyball court. China’s excellent traditional cultures collided and blended on the grasslands.
The popularity brought by volleyball has also turned into real income for farmers and herdsmen. With the cultural IP of “Prairie Village Pai” as the core, Aungsu Town has built a Prairie Village Pai cultural and creative parlor that integrates cultural and creative exhibitions and sales, specialty product experience, and cultural tourism services. It focuses on the exhibition and sales of 45 types of local specialty agricultural products such as mutton and dairy products. The reception room integrates the resources of 13 Gacha collectives, and more than 3,000 households of farmers and herdsmen share the development dividends. The revenue exceeded 2 million yuan in the first year of opening.
Related Reading
- ICE officer who shot Venezuelan man in Texas wasn’t wearing a body camera, sources say2026-09-23
- Trump says U.S.-Iran ties are ‘developing’ as Tehran offers path to reopen Hormuz2026-09-23
- Traditional skills + modern creativity, Mid-Autumn Festival cultural creations are popular in the market2026-09-23
- (Aichi2026-09-23
- The water level of China’s largest freshwater lake continues to decline rapidly, breaking multiple decline records2026-09-23
