A scene from the opening ceremonies of the World Nomad Games in Cholpon-Ata, Kyrgyzstan, on September 2, 2018. The biannual games are held to “revive and preserve the culture of nomadic civilizations”, according to the organizers. More than 3,000 athletes from 77 countries are participating this year. (Photo by Amos Chapple/Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)





The yurt city nestled in the bowl-shaped valley of Kyrchyn Gorge, the second, and most spectacular, venue of the 2018 Nomad Games. (Photo by Amos Chapple/Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)





Young locals take the low road as their horse clatters through a mountain stream on the way to the opening ceremony at Kyrchyn Gorge. (Photo by Amos Chapple/Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)





Horsemen fight through clouds of dust during a simulated battle as part of the kickoff. (Photo by Amos Chapple/Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)





A traditional game that earned hollers from the crowd saw a male rider gallop after a young woman, stretching for a kiss. Only a handful of the men managed the risky peck before the young women turned the tables and thundered after the men with whips in hand. (Photo by Amos Chapple/Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)





Riders stand atop their horses as they speed past the crowds. (Photo by Amos Chapple/Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)





Another traditional Turkic challenge played out as jousters engaged in high-speed passes. Amid the dust-clouded chaos of the ceremony, it was sometimes hard to tell if tumbles were choreographed or painfully accidental. (Photo by Amos Chapple/Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)





As the opening ceremony drew to a loudly applauded close, VIPs choppered out of the gorge and locals tried out other entertainment, including this man-made lakelet. (Photo by Amos Chapple/Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)





Nazira Ivanova rehearses with her bandmates before taking the stage at an event for traditional music. The song, which stopped several passersby in their tracks, was “about love”, she told RFE/RL. (Photo by Amos Chapple/Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)





Elderly friends bask in evening light as the crowds of Kyrchyn begin to thin. (Photo by Amos Chapple/Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)





A boy runs a fast-paced high-wire act. The young man ascended the single rope on the left backward without a safety cord, though he harnessed himself in for his trick runs. (Photo by Amos Chapple/Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)





Kyrgyz in traditional clothing. (Photo by Amos Chapple/Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)





Two archers head for the carpark. (Photo by Amos Chapple/Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)





A woman leaves her yurt with a pile of dishes as the games' attendees settle in for the night in the chilly mountain venue. (Photo by Amos Chapple/Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)