-
1 of 12Chinese Kazakh eagle hunter Margars Mazkin, 74, sits with his eagle before leaving for competition on Jan. 31, 2015 in the mountains of Qinghe County, Xinjiang, northwestern China.Kevin Frayer—Getty Images -
2 of 12Mazkin puts on his traditional clothing before leaving for competition.Kevin Frayer—Getty Images -
3 of 12Chinese Kazakh eagle hunter Yermazhan Beysenbay places an eagle on a perch as another eagle sits nearby outside the family house before the competition.Kevin Frayer—Getty Images -
4 of 12Chinese Kazakh eagle hunters from the Beysenbay family who are all brothers ride together with their eagles before the competition in the mountains of Qinghe County, Xinjiang.Kevin Frayer—Getty Images -
5 of 12Chinese Kazakh eagle hunter Yermazhan Beysenbay holds his eagle as he ties up his horse after riding before the competition.Kevin Frayer—Getty Images -
6 of 12A Chinese Kazakh eagle hunter dances with horsemen before the competition.Kevin Frayer—Getty Images -
7 of 12Chinese Kazakh eagle hunters ride with their eagles during the competition.Kevin Frayer—Getty Images -
8 of 12Spectators react as they watch a Chinese Kazakh eagle hunter release his bird during the competition.Kevin Frayer—Getty Images -
9 of 12Spectators watch as an eagle flies above the crowd after it was released by a Chinese Kazakh eagle hunter.Kevin Frayer—Getty Images -
10 of 12A Chinese Kazakh boy watches during the competition.Kevin Frayer—Getty Images -
11 of 12Chinese Kazakh eagle hunters laugh together as they rest during the competition.Kevin Frayer—Getty Images -
12 of 12Chinese Kazakh eagle hunter releases his eagle during the competition in the mountains of Qinghe County, Xinjiang, northwestern China.Kevin Frayer—Getty Images
The eagle hunting festival, held in the mountains of Qinghe County, Xinjiang, northwestern China, was organized by the local hunting community in an effort to promote and grow traditional hunting practices for new generations. The training and handling of the large birds of prey follows a strict set of ancient rules that Kazakh eagle hunters hope to preserve for future generations.
More Must-Reads From TIME
- What a Photographer Saw in the West Bank
- The Dirty Secrets of Alternative Plastics
- Accenture’s Chief AI Officer on Why This Is a Defining Moment
- We Should Get Paid for Our Online Data: Column
- Inside COP28's Big 'Experiment'
- The 100 Must-Read Books of 2023
- The Top 100 Photos of 2023
- Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time
