The "Colorful Land, Harmonious Countryside" Grassland Village Volleyball Amateur Grand Prix kicks off in Otog Front Banner on Aug 8. [Photo/Nuan News]

The 5th Ordos Yellow River Bend Cultural Tourism Festival, the "Colorful Land, Harmonious Countryside" Grassland Village Volleyball Amateur Grand Prix, and the 2025 Otog Banner Nadaam Fair opened simultaneously in Otog Front Banner, Ordos city, on Aug 8.

The events drew visitors from across China eager to experience a celebration blending sports passion, ethnic traditions, and regional charm.

Volleyball legend and former head coach of China's women's national team, Lang Ping, returned to the grasslands to join the "Village Volleyball" event. She served the opening ball and offered her encouragement to this grassroots sport rooted in rural communities.

Three exhibition matches followed, filling the evening with powerful serves, agile jumps, and thunderous spikes that ignited waves of cheers from the packed stands. The electrifying atmosphere reflected both the athletic spirit and cultural vitality of the festival.

This year's competition brought together 459 athletes from 40 teams across 26 provinces, making the grassland volleyball stage a vibrant showcase of unity, strength, and local pride.

Lang Ping waves to audiences at the grassland volleyball event. [Photo/Nuan News]

A year ago, Lang Ping marveled at the "volleyball town" of Angsu in Otog Front Banner. With fewer than 8,000 permanent residents, the town boasts over 5,000 volleyball enthusiasts and 49 teams organized by local farmers and herders.

Here, every village has its own team, matches are held monthly, and nearly everyone is a fan. Residents raise funds to organize games with neighboring villages, drive hundreds of kilometers to compete, and even invest their own savings – one farmer spent 200,000 yuan ($27,855.15) to build an indoor volleyball court, purely out of passion for the sport.

That passion has since spread like wildfire. With improved facilities and well-planned tournaments, Otog Banner hosts more than 400 volleyball matches each year, engaging people of all ages and backgrounds. The result is a thriving culture of "weekly matches, open participation, and fitness for all" across the banner.

A fierce volleyball match is held on Aug 8. [Photo/Nuan News]