A huge 2,000 year old horse farm on high pastures...

𝘋𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘊𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘢... 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥...

In the middle of the Hexi corridor at the foot of the Qilian Mountains in Gansu province is the 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗻 𝗠𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗛𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗙𝗮𝗿𝗺 (山丹军马总场). Seemingly the oldest state-owned enterprise still operating in China, the farm has a history of over 2,000 years when Emperor Wu of the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC – 8 AD) started breeding military horses.

With a size of 2,200 km2 (little less than the size of Luxembourg) at altitudes ranging from 2,420 to 4,933 meters, the farm has been breeding Shandan horses since ancient times. Also other horse breeds such as Turkestan and Mongolian horses have been introduced in the farm.

The Shandang farm horses were as well an essential mean for transport during the ancient Silk Road. Famous movies such as the Wrangler, Princess Wencheng, and the Mongolian Flower have been shot at the farm.

Today, the farm is managed by the China Animal Husbandry Group and more focused on the fast growing equestrian (horse riding) sports in China, race horses, police horses and tourism. Thousands of horses inhabit the beautiful high grasslands with indigenous herbs and flowers in the farm estate.

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