URUMQI, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- A team of nine herdsmen in northwest China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region on Wednesday completed a journey of 300 kilometers on ancient fur snowboards.

The herdsmen, who are from the prefecture of Altay, spent ten days traveling through the region's mountainous terrain, which included over 100 kilometers of uninhabited area.

"I hope this journey will promote the culture of ancient skiing in Altay Prefecture, and help more people discover the joy of skiing in Xinjiang," said expedition leader Maliqin.

The fur snowboards, which are made of pine wood and horsehide, have a history dating back more than 5,000 years.

Altay is believed to be one of the birthplaces of ancient skiing, with ancient rock paintings in the region depicting people hunting with fur snowboards.