My companions and I had come to photograph the Yushu Horse Racing Festival held in Qinghai province in the Kham Tibetan Area of Western China. The festival features exquisite Tibet traditional costumes, wonderful song and dance performances, and passionate horseback archery and other competitions.
We were unsure of when the activities would begin but decided it was best to arrive early so that we wouldn’t miss anything. When we got there, we saw that hundreds of colorfully clad participants were lined up on both sides of the entry to the stadium, creating a pathway. We walked between the rows, everyone gaily waving at us as we took photographs. Suddenly we realized that we were walking down the path intended for special visitors; the Chinese V.I.P.’s were right behind us. The exuberant Tibetans, welcoming us warmly, didn’t seem to care who we were.