Buteelchi dolls show rich Mongolian culture

Poseable, handmade figures are priced at more than $1,000 each

Barbie may be the most famous doll in the world, but a team of artisans in Ordos, the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, is carving out a niche market with their handmade, Barbie-sized dolls dressed in the intricate, traditional costumes of the plateau.

In 2014, Baatar, a 32-year-old member of the Mongolian ethnic group, started to make the dolls, named Buteelchi, which means "pioneer" in Mongolian. The poseable dolls have been gaining attention at Chinese and international arts and crafts fairs, and last year the business received its first foreign order for more than 600 dolls priced at 6,800 yuan ($1,034) each, giving them international exposure.