Categories
Asia East Asia Mongolia

The Naadam

Stories and Photos from the most important national festival of Mongolia.

Destination 》Asia 》East Asia 》Mongolia 》The Naadam

Year Visited: 2019 – July

I planned my two weeks backpacking trip across Mongolia in a way that I can attend the Naadam, the most important Festival in Mongolia. After spending few days in UlaanBaatar, the capital city, we took a public bus for KharKhorin to experience the Naadam Festival in the Mongolian countryside.

The Naadam is the most important national festival in Mongolia. It is a mixture between a State-fair and a competition of Nomadic games, where the best wrestlers, archers, and horsemen are crowned. In 2010, the Naadam was inscribed in UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

We decided to avoid the big crowd and a stadium seating in UlaanBaatar and rather have a much more rustic Naadam experience in KharKhorin, near ruins of the ancient Mongol capital of KaraKorum. At the Naadam festival in KharKhorin, you can get immersed into the traditional festivities up close! You may be able to congratulate the winner, a nomad from the local area, in person, instead of cheering for some professional athletes from a distant stand in a stadium of UlaanBaatar.

Horse Racing: Unlike western horse racing, which consists of short sprints generally not much longer than 2 km, Mongolian horse racing is a cross-country event, with races 15–30 km long. The length of each race is determined by age class (of a horse). For example, two year old horses race for 15 km and seven year olds are for 30 km.

Children from age 5 to 13 are chosen as jockeys.
Horse racing event at the Naadam.
Horse race has different categories based on age of horse.
The spectators are eagerly waiting at the finish line of a Horse race.
The spectators are eagerly waiting at the finish line of a Horse race.
Judges watching the finish line for a 20 km long horse race.
The winner horse and the owner; while jockeys are an important component, the main purpose of the race is to test the skill of horses.
During the Naadam, friends hag-out together on their horses. Most kids in rural Mongolia have their own horse.
Few locals are showing off their horseman skills.
Few locals are showing off their horseman skills.

Archery: In this competition both men and women may participate. It is played by teams of four or more. Each archer is given four arrows; men shoot their arrows from 75 meters away while women shoot theirs from 65 meters away.

Men Archery team.
Men Archery team.
Women Archery team.
Women Archery team. She is a 3 times champion

Knuckle bone shooting: Mongolian game of Knuckle-bone shooting is fading away. You will find mostly older men playing this game. In 2014, this game was inscribed in UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Teams of four to eight players flick domino-like marble tablets on a smooth wooden surface towards a target of sheep knuckle-bones, aiming to knock them into a target zone. Each shooter possesses individually crafted shooting tools.

Mongolian Knuckle bone shooting game.
A team of a Mongolian Knuckle bone shooting game
The Winner of a Mongolian Knuckle bone shooting game.
A Former champion of the Knuckle bone shooting game showing medals he won during professional championship games.

Wrestling: Mongolian wrestling, known as Bökh, is the national sport. It is a folk wrestling style of Mongols; the competitor loses the match if he touches the ground with anything other than his hands or feet. A wrestler’s costume consists of a tight shoulder vest (Zodog), shorts (Shuudag), and leather boots (Gutal). Only men are allowed to participate in the wrestling competition.

Mongolian wrestling, known as Bökh.
Mongolian wrestling, known as Bökh.
Before and after the match, each wrestler performs a traditional “Eagle Dance” (Devekh), based on the flight of the mythical Garuda bird, which symbolizes power, bravery, grace and invincibility. When a wrestler loses the match, he then symbolically passes under the arm of the winner as a sign of respect.
Wrestlers performing a traditional “Eagle Dance”.
The match winner is going back to his tent.
Many qualifying wrestling matches conducted simultaneously.
The wrestling champion of Naadam KharKhorin with his coach and the judge.
The wrestling champion of Naadam KharKhorin with a tourist.
With Local sports men and women showing their medals
One happy Mongol prince

Below are some random pictures from the festival ground to let you have an experience of being there.

Local princess enjoying the festivity.
Tents selling local food and drinks.
As there are not enough guest houses in the town, many families from nearby villages set-up Ger for 2 days Naadam festival.
Peeing outside in the open is a part of nomadic life.
Local fire truck spraying water, adding enjoyment to the festivity, kids really loved it.
Sand Storm moved in during 2nd day of Naadam
Sand Storm moved in during 2nd day of Naadam
My friend enjoying Naadam festival.
Naadam festival ground. The best part of coming to KharKhorin, here the Naadam event is organized on a wide open ground, not in a stadium like the one in UlaanBaatar. You can experience the festivity up & close.
The festival ground for the Naadam.

Every evening we went back to our wonderful ger-stay in KharKhorin

Our Ger-Stay in KharKhorin.
Window on The World's avatar

By Window on The World

In May 2017, 23 days before I was going to complete 50 years, grabbed an opportunity and took an early retirement.. Picked up a backpack and traveling ever since.. Love to travel around the world, experience different culture, local cuisine & drinks .. and take pictures.. so far been to 108 countries and still counting...

Leave a comment