Chinese 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.

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.