Ordos International Desert Carnival and the 9th Peking "Love on the Bowstring" Elite Gathering

    From May 1 to May 4, the Hangjin Banner Desert Tourism Culture Festival and the 9th Peking "Love on the Bowstring · Love in the Kubuqi" Elite Gathering — part of the Ordos International Desert Carnival — were grandly held in the Duguitala Off-Road Town of Hangjin Banner. The event was jointly organized by the Ordos Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism, the Ordos Municipal Bureau of Education and Sports, the People's Government of Hangjin Banner, the Hangjin Banner Bureau of Culture and Tourism, the Hangjin Banner Bureau of Education and Sports, the Beijing Folklore Tourism Association, the Peking Chapter of Off-Road E-Club, and Hengshengxing Desert Hotel.

Every year during the May Day holiday, off-road enthusiasts from across the country gather in Duguitala Off-Road Town, Hangjin Banner, Ordos City, to participate in the May Day “Love on the Bowstring · Love in the Kubuqi” Elite Gathering. Now in its ninth consecutive year, the “Love on the Bowstring · Love in the Kubuqi” Elite Gathering has evolved into more than just an event for off-roaders and self-driving tourists — it’s also a top choice for many travelers.

This year’s Elite Gathering not only features returning favorites such as the Desert T3 Challenge and the Desert UTV Single Vehicle Challenge, but also introduces exciting events from the Alxa Heroes Meeting, including the American Thor’s Hammer and Baja stunt performances. Additionally, there’s the nationwide UTV Desert Course Fun Race — created by the Peking Chapter — designed for off-roader families and visitors of all ages, including kids, teens, and moms.

Cultural and entertainment activities such as the “Unrestrained” Outdoor BBQ Banquet, the Desert Music Carnival, and the Food Culture Festival ensure that off-roaders and visitors have plenty to enjoy beyond the thrill of the desert. To provide a platform for showcasing the beauty of nature, desert tourism, and personal photography, the organizing committee has added the first-ever Guide Cup “Love on the Bowstring · Love in the Kubuqi” Mobile Photography Competition within the desert-themed events.

Alongside the event, the Hangjin Banner Kubuqi Desert Service Association was officially established. The association will provide essential infrastructure, meals, accommodation, vehicle repair, refueling, maintenance, and safety services for off-road driving enthusiasts from across the country in the mid-section of the Kubuqi Desert.

Over nine years of the May Day “Love on the Bowstring” Elite Gathering, a once-barren desert has transformed into a hub of off-road sports, driven by the roar of engines. These successive grand desert off-road events have spurred the weekend economy of Hangjin Banner, with large-scale competitions igniting tourism in the central section of the Kubuqi Desert. Duguitala Town has rightfully earned its title as China’s Off-Road Town. With increased visitor traffic, related industries such as hotels, restaurants, supermarkets, and auto repair shops have flourished in and around the Off-Road Town. The arrival of off-road enthusiasts has also attracted large communities from the outdoor, tourism, and leisure sectors. After their desert adventures, these visitors often continue to explore other destinations such as the Ordos Grassland, Seven Star Lake Scenic Area, and Shuofang Ancient Road. Hangjin Banner has successfully leveraged the competitions as a catalyst to boost tourism and stimulate the surrounding economy, significantly promoting the tourism resources of Hangjin Banner, Ordos, and Inner Mongolia. It has made a meaningful contribution to the development of tourism in Inner Mongolia.

To better promote and disseminate desert tourism culture and highlight its unique appeal, the organizing committee coordinated with over 170 national, provincial, and municipal media platforms to provide comprehensive coverage of the event and the tourism resources of Hangjin Banner. According to statistics, this year’s Elite Gathering attracted more than 400 racing vehicles and over 600 drivers from more than ten provinces and municipalities across the country, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangdong, Sichuan, Hunan, Hebei, Guangxi, Shandong, and Inner Mongolia. Over the four-day event, a total of 6,000 vehicle entries were recorded, and the gathering welcomed 100,000 visitors.