ULAN BATOR, March 9 (Xinhua) -- The Golden Eagle Festival opened near Mongolia's capital on Saturday to promote winter tourism and ethnic Kazakh culture.

The 18th edition of the festival is co-organized by the country's Ministry of Environment and Tourism, the Mongolian Eagle Hunters' Association and the Governor's Office of the western province of Bayan-Ulgii and others.

Twenty-one eagle hunters aged 21-68 from the province of Bayan-Ulgii, home to the people of the Kazakh ethnic group, are competing in the two-day festival to catch stuffed animals with their specially trained golden eagles, showing off the skills of both the birds and their trainers.

In addition, more activities include concerts of Kazakh folk music and dance as well as a fair of traditional handicrafts, clothing, and food of Kazakhs.

Mongolia is home to the thousand-year-old tradition of hunting with trained golden eagles, which has been passed down through generations among Kazakh nomads.

The Golden Eagle Festival is held twice a year in Mongolia -- one in spring and another in autumn.

The country has declared 2023-2025 "Years to Visit Mongolia" to boost tourism, and the eagle festival is one of the more than 90 events planned for this year. Enditem

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