Xinjiang's horse industry is galloping ahead as the region integrates it with the culture and tourism sectors to promote rural vitalization and ethnic unity.

With the largest number of horses in the country, Xinjiang has formed a complete industrial system covering breeding, races, culture, and tourism, according to Yao Xinkui, head of the Horse Industry Research Institute at Xinjiang Agricultural University and president of the Xinjiang Horse Industry Association.

A report released by the association in January shows that the total output value of Xinjiang's horse industry reached a peak of 16.95 billion yuan ($2.5 billion) in 2024, the most recent year with available data.

The output value of horse racing events in 2024 increased by more than 230 percent compared to 2018, signaling explosive growth in the sector.

According to the Ili Kazak autonomous prefecture's recent government report, the region's Ili Horse breed now accounts for over 60 percent of China's domestic sports horse market.