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The Gobi Camel Festival is an event that aims to protect the camel species in Mongolia and create a space where the camels can mate and increase their population. This event is also the place where Mongolians get together. This event is not only for the local people in Mongolia to participate but for everyone worldwide so that the herding culture can be spread. The festival includes camel polo, parades, ankle bone shooting, camel races, and more. This culture should be preserved because it helps keep the herding camel culture alive.

More on the Gobi camel festival:

https://www.viewmongolia.com/camel-festival-mongolia.html

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The Kaleidoscope Museum project is dedicated to preserving the unique culture of Mongolia, specifically the nomadic lifestyle, using multimedia Padlet as a platform for global accessibility. The aim is to educate people worldwide about Mongolian culture and potentially attract visitors, but there is a concern that increased tourism may threaten the authenticity of the culture. The urgency of the project stems from the endangered status of various cultures due to the negative impacts of globalization, as the initiative seeks to safeguard national traditions from being overshadowed by a homogenized world culture.

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Yak racing, also known as Yak traveling. It is a tradition that Mongolia people do in their free time that requires a yak. Yak is a long-hair, shorted leg mammals that is similar to ox. There are approximately 1,005,000 yaks in Mongolia. What makes it special is that when people are doing it, they will combine it with popular songs, dance or even sports. This kind of culture might be endangered as the IUCN has listed yak into red list of threatened species. So not only should we protect the culture, but also the species of yak in the area of Tibet and Karakorum.

https://www.toursmongolia.com/mongolia_travel_news/yak-festival-in-mongolia-events-mongolia

Spoken interview about yak: https://youtu.be/kAHIYciKy2A?si=2giWFJ4CCeuoqrn7

This introduce about yak, as well as talking about their relationship with the Mongolian

(photo) https://www.mongolia-travel-advice.com/mongolia-pictures.html

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Traditional clothing - (photo gallery/PPT)

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Traditional clothing - (photo gallery/PPT)

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people wearing mongolian traditional clothing

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Airag recipe:

https://travelfoodatlas.com/mongolian-airag-kumis-recipe

Milk vodka recipe:

https://correctmongolia.com/mongolian-vodka/#:~:text=Mongolian%20traditional%20vodka%20is%20made,and%20smells%20like%20a%20curd.

Suutei Tsai recipe: https://www.mongolfood.info/en/recipes/suutei-tsai.html

Sea-buckthorn juice recipe:

https://littlesunnykitchen.com/sea-buckthorn-juice/

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As Mongolian are living in nomadic living style, so the weather, nature is important to them in their daily life. For example, with too heavy rain, it will cause flood while too less rain causes drought. Because of this, they believe in the "Shamanic" and in their rituals culture, they will dance, chant, play music or even do animal sacrifice to the shamanic, to ask for help. During the rituals, people will be wearing a deel, and the traditional Mongolian robe most nomadic herder's wear. The clothings will also covered their eyes while they hold drums or other instruments (rattles). It is important to keep the culture because it shows how the Mongolian respect the nature and how well they protect them, and thats why some part of the Mongolia are still not polluted. The rituals also showed their culture towards protecting their environment.

Video file: https://youtu.be/bv6RdW32FEk?si=Hq4wMMFcJpf7O_Dn In the video, it shows how the rituals of shamanic is done by people, which audience can also look at the clothes and wearings people are having.

PPT: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1JOg7TU-eJKXS4LfI8l5a7FW-Ad8Qn3hgUQn9T65hq5U/edit?usp=sharing

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What is Mongolian shamanic ceremony like? — Mongolia Tours & Travel 2023/2024

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Before the ceremony, the shaman sits down with each participant to ask their birth year (according to the lunar calendar) and about their ancestor’s birthplace (including details like a nearby mountain, river, and large lake).

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Horse racing:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUzBuX3A7k4

Archery:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kW9ztEqvjEg

Mongolian wrestling:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ry-OuWGhjVg

Knuckle shooting:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLBXeYg7TsE&t=190s

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click on the file above to see how Mongolians eat their traditional meals. ↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑

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how mongolians eat their traditional foods (1)

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Naadam Festival - (video link & text based file)

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Naadam Festival - (video link & text based file)

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The Naadam festival is a traditional festival that has been practiced since 1206. this event is so important for Mongolians, even the pandemic didn't stop them from doing it every year. The Naadam festival was created to celebrate Mongolias independence. Sports like wrestling, horse riding, archery, and knucklebone shooting are played at the festival. These sports are broadcast, and people get together to watch it together. This culture should be preserved because it serves as a source of national integrity for Mongolia.

Video file of the actual event:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iv65GmTvZHM&t=93s

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The yurt is a traditional Mongolian traditional portable house. The house is a circular tent that can survive Mongolia's challenging weather conditions. The tent is easy to take down and build back again in about 30 min, which is fast for a house. This culture of living in yurts should be preserved because Mongolians have to move a lot due to the bad weather and food availability, so having a house that can survive harsh weather but still be portable is a no-brainer.

More on what a yurt is like:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=seS6rAXC0cM&t=109s

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One of the manners/etiquette of Mongolia is that no showing bottom of your feet. In Mongolia's manners, head is consider the most sacred part of someone's body and feet is the dirtiest, and because of this, people shouldn't touch someone's head, and feet shouldn't be on chairs or table. However if you touch someone's foot or head, you should apologize to the person as it's rude. Another manners is that you shouldn't step over books, foods, or even utensils. This culture is important as it's a special etiquette that respect personal privacy by not touching other people's body part, as well as keeping a tradition of respecting items.

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Tours, Trips & Treks to Mongolia | Travel to Mongolia | Nomadic Journeys

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The Mongolians are warm-hearted and sincere. They welcome strangers travelling to stay for the night in their ger and treat them to milk tea, food and airag/khomis. The guests are given a warm send-off by the hosts and prayed for their safe journey. Visitors have traditionally greeted warmly because, in the past, harsh travelling conditions made nomads rely on each other. Also, travellers were the main sources of news from the outside world. Here are some Mongolia's basic do's and don'ts.

Mongolian Greetings

Mongolians are comfortable shaking hands with Westerners as a greeting, and everyday greetings include "Sain bainu?" ("How are you?") and "Saixan namarjinuu?" ("Are you having a good autumn?"). In response to the first inquiry, you are expected to always answer in the positive: "Sain sain" ("I'm well"). Also, Mongolians when they are close they are comfortable giving each other hugs.

The traditional Mongolian greeting, especially in the countryside, is for a young person to hold out his arms, palms up, and grasp the older person just in front of the elbows. The older person does the same thing except with his palms down. This style of greeting is associated mostly with the Lunar New Year or when people meet for the first time in the new year. It usually is performed only by close relatives and friends. Also, the older person give traditional kiss by giving quick sniffing on forehead or both cheeks.

"Presenting the Hadag" is an essential welcoming gesture. Hadag is a strip of silk or cotton used as a greeting gift among both Tibetans and Mongolians. Mongolian hadag is sky blue, but shades like white and light yellow occur as well. When one is lucky enough to be presented a hadag, one should grasp it gently in both hands while bowing slightly. The giving/ receiving of hadag is an outward sign of mutual respect, something that is very important in Mongolian culture.

Mongolia Customs of Respect

To show respect when accepting something, use your right hand and hold right elbow with your left hand or use both hands together. Even if you are offered something, you don't want you are expected to accept it and, at the very least, pretend to try it. Refusal or pushing something away is a severe breach of etiquette.

Hats are important in Mongolian culture, so never wear one indoors, especially in a temple or ger. Never touch another person's hat, even if you are sliding it out of the way. It is also considered bad manners if you don't take off your gloves or coat when inside, especially when eating or drinking. To do so is to imply your host is not being hospitable by providing adequate warmth.

It is impolite to come out directly and ask for something like directions. Don't write a name with a red pen, don't point with an index finger at anyone, don't point with your feet, it is better to use your whole hand palms up to point at someone or something. If accidentally step on a foot, apologize profusely and shake their hand.

The head is considered the most sacred party of the body and the bottom of the feet is the dirtiest part of the body. One should not touch a person's head, place a hand on the back of a chair in which someone is sitting, put feet on tables or chairs. If you accidentally touch someone with your foot or touch their head, apologize profusely. A great effort is made to avoid stepping over someone, food, utensils and sacred books. It is much more polite to ask someone to move than to step over them.

Ger Etiquette

A customary greeting when approaching a ger is "Nokhoigo Khorioroi" ("Hold the dog") even you don't see dog. Fierce dogs are often the first to appear when one approaches a ger. Knocking on the door is considered rude. There is a taboo about stepping on the threshold of the ger. When entering a ger Mongolians open the door flap with their right hand, from the right side. Doing otherwise invites bad luck. Some of the customs and taboos associated with gers also apply to houses.

When entering a ger, visitors are supposed to go to the left and sit on the ground, a stool, or a bed. The host family sits on the right. The back wall is reserved for the Buddhist altar and family pictures. Inside a ger, you are expected to relax and make yourself at home. It is fine to take a nap if you want. If you spend the night, point your feet towards the door.

Don't touch or lean on the pillar, whistle, take food with your left hand, throw any trash in a fire, stand or sit in front or near the door, walk in front of an older person. Don't roll up your sleeves in a ger and can be seen as inviting to a fight. These things are considered disrespectful and anger the spirits. It is customary for the guest to inquire of the host about their health, the well-being of their family, the state of their livestock, and the quality of the grass for their herds.

Pipe Smoking and Passing the Snuffbox

Mongolians traditionally offer each other snuff from their snuffboxes. It is considered rude to decline such an offer. Passing the snuffbox is an old tradition in Mongolian culture, and is the most common exchange of amenities when people meet. When one is a guest in a Mongolian home, the host will take out his snuffbox, open it and pass it to the guest. Its contents generally being very aromatic and consisting of a blend of tobacco and herbs. It is expected to sniff a tobacco's aroma a little bit to better appreciate the snuffbox or put it under your nose to pretend it is sniffing. To be respectful, you should nod your head or give another sign of admiration. The snuffbox itself may be in any of several shapes, from the rectangular, square to the oval to the cylindrical, and with engravings whose artistry reveals the quality of the snuffbox. The snuffbox contains a small spoon made either of gold, silver, copper, ivory, or camel bone.

Mongolian Eating Customs

Mongolians don't eat with chopsticks. They generally use a spoon, fork or just their hands. Boiled meat is passed around in a large communal bowl with a knife. People slice off a piece of meat with the most fat.

After entering a ger, guests are offered tea with milk and salt (depending on the region) in a bowl, and a plate with various cheeses and bread or cookies. Visitors are expected to take at least one small piece or a sip of what is offered to them. To do otherwise is considered very rude.

Mongolian Drinking Customs

When offered a glass of vodka dip you finger into it and flick it once towards the sky and once towards to the ground and some on your forehead in honor of local spirits. If you don't want any vodka go through the same ritual, but put your finger to your forehead, say thanks and return the glass to the table.

Airag/khomis is usually spooned out of a large container and served in a large bowl. It is often cane be handed around in a communal bowl.

Religious Customs

Followers of Tibetan Buddhism walk around stupas, temples, sacred mountains or other objects of devotion in a clockwise direction one or an odd number times. Also, on top of the mountain or hill, there is a pile of large stones called Ovoo. You are expected to go around three times and adding new stones, praying for a safe journey and thanking local mountain spirit. In some Ovoos, you will find money, vodka bottles, hadag and skull of a horse. Don't take prayer flags or hadag. Do not remove any objects from an altar or Ovoo. Don't take photos during prayers and meditation. As a rule, don't take pictures without permission and don't use a flash. Don't wear shorts or short skirts or hats in temples or monasteries.

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Mongolian Customs & Etiquette | What to do or not to do in Mongolia

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Travellers' must know Do's & Don'ts. Show respects to Mongolian customs & etiquette and be aware of what to do or not to do before travel to Mongolia.

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One special thing about Mongolia sculpture is that it started a long time ago, and there are still evidence that prove Mongolia's sculpture. Mongolians usually use carving/ sculpture to make deer or people. From their sculpture, we can see how the Mongolian's values towards Human body according to their sculpture. It is important to keep this art form because it shows to the foreign and can develop more to the sculpture industry, while combining past and nowadays art.

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Cinema

Cinema, the miracle of the 20th century, came to Mongolia in 1910s. First movies were shown in the capital city, at the American Consulate and Russian Stock Exchange's hotel. In 1913 Mongolian prince Namnansuren is known to have brought some films from Russia to show at the residence of the Bogd Khan. After the revolution of 1921, equipment and movies have been purchased and students trained in Russia . Thus people have acquired access to cinema. At that time, cinema in Mongolia was called "Shadow show", and it was free of charge, until the first cinema theatre "Ard" was built in 1930s. In 1935, under the decision of the Council of Ministers, a movie production company "Mongol kino" was set up with Soviet assistance. The first production of the company was a documentary "74th Celebration of 1st May". In 1936, the first feature movie created with the technical assistance of the Soviet "Lenfilm". Mongolia 's first movie directors, cameramen, editors and other personnel were trained on the job by professionals from the Soviet Union . And in 1938 Mongolians were able to make independently "Norjmaa's way", and "Wolves" in 1939. Movies directed by the famous Mongolian film director D.Jigjid, such as "Tsogt taij" (1945), "People's messenger" (1959), "Flood", "Son-in-law" and others have became classics of Mongolian cinema. Film directors of younger generation, such as H.Damdin, Ts.Navaan, Ch.Gombo, B.Baljinnyam, B.Sumhuu and O.Urtnasan have made their unique contribution to further development of Mongolian cinema. The 1990s have became a turning point in the history of Mongolian cinema. Around 20 private film studios that have emerged between 1992 and 1997, produced more than 100 feature movies. Foreign relations with films companies have expanded as well. Joint productions of both documentary and feature films with French, Japanese, Chinese and Mongolian film producers have successfully participated in various international film festivals.

Fine Art

Fine arts of Mongolia are famous for its incredible paintings. Cave paintings aged 3-8 thousand years and found in the Khoid Tsenkher cave, Munkhan somon of Khovd aimag, are considered the first works of art discovered in the territory of Mongolia . The history of art and architecture of the Mongolian Empire begins in the 12th century and at later times was influenced by other nations. The capital city of the Mongol Dynasty, Khar Khorum, was a magnificent proof of the glory and majesty of the Mongolian Empire. With the development of religious arts and architecture, in 16 to early 20th century, design of buildings acquired features of Buddhist temples. Many monasteries were built during this time. Works, that represents today's classical painting techniques, are U.Yadamsuren's "The Old Horse-fiddler", A.Senghetsokhio's "The Mongol Lady", B.Avarzed's "Uurgach" and Ts.Minjuur's "Caravan Guide".
A.Senghetsokhio's "The Mongol Lady"
Modern Art

A new social system which was founded upon the victory of Revolution in 1921 was focused on art works. Therefore art works of that time were dedicated to publicity of he new system. Since then Mongolian artists became acquainted with European paintings and began using both Mongolian and European drawing methods. In order to develop Mongolian art systematically specialised artists were prepared and there were established specialised agencies in Mongolia . In 1950s many genres of fine art, carpet and porcelain production were introduced and developed. During this period many artists and architects became very famous for their single thematic works, namely, painter O. Tsevegjav-animals, U.Yadamsuren-workers, N.Tsultem and G.Odon-history and everyday life, L.Gavaa-nature and an architect S.Choimbol-monuments etc. In 1960s there was a great change in the tradition of art-refusing to use linear perspectives, harmonisation of colours and colour endowments in every respect and began to use other techniques of painting as well as themes and contents of art were expanded. Famous artists of 1970-1980 are D.Amgalan who mastered xylography, M.Butemj, Ya.Urjnee, G.Soosoi, M.Chuvaamid who mastered monumental arts, S.Dondog, B.Chogsom, M.Tsembeldorj and D.Munkhuu etc. On beginning democracy in Mongolia since 1990 there has been a change in the social life and in the sector of arts and culture. As Mongolia expands its foreign relations, artists and architects of Mongolia are provided with possibilities of studying and creating abstract and impressionist arts which were unfamiliar to Mongols.

Painting

Mongolian painting began to develop more than two thousand years ago from simple rock drawings. Uighur paintings of the 8th century prove that this art was flourishing in Mongolia and Asia long ago. Buddhism was the main theme of the painting. and it developed into a fine art form. B. Sharav is the painter who linked the old with the new in his art. The Mongolian way of life was depicted in his famous work "One Day in Mongolia " and various portraits. The traditional painting was influenced by European art. The Mongolian painters L. Gavaa, O. Tsevegjav and Ts. Dorjpalam are famous not only at home, but also abroad. They made a great contribution to the creation of new art based in tradition and trained several generations of painters. At present, new and different artistic trends are emerging, and creative young artists are developing the national art.
B.Sharav, One Day in Mongolia
Sculpture

Deer carvings in rock constitute the historical monuments of ancient times. Thousands of these rocks are evidence of the development and wealth of sculpture in ancient Mongolia . Undur Gegeen Zanabazar, a prominent religious figure and famous sculptor of the 17th century, created 21 tare (consorts of Buddha), which show the beauty of Mongolian woman. Zanabazar laid the foundation for the depiction and praise of the human form in Mongolian sculpture. Now there are many famous sculptors such as S. Choimbol, A. Davaatssren, N. Jambai and L. Dashdeleg. The monument to D. Sukhbaatar by S. Choimbol is a symbol of Mongolia and it gives an idea of our country to foreign visitors. It is a unique example of a Mongolian horse-rider represented through the medium of sculpture. It is hoped that creative young artists will further contribute to sculpture in Mongolia.

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Cinema, the miracle of the 20th century, came to Mongolia in 1910s. First movies were shown in the capital city,

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Tengri is the sky of god in Mongolia, which represents unknowable, infinite and timeless. Followers of Tengri believes that the universe is created by Tengri, a famous follower is Genghis Khan, he once said that he was able to defeats his enemies is because of the love from Tengri and not because of strength and bravery. Tengri plays a central role in the spiritual beliefs of the Mongolian people. Although this is not a "tradition" to the Mongolian people, it is still important to keep the myths as it can show how Mongolia's value in religion, as well as what they believe in.

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Tengriism or Tengrism is a shamanistic religion practiced in Central Asia. Tengriism was also followed by many other nationalities apart from the Mongols such as the Khuns, Bulgars, Turkic, and Altaic people. It is characterized by shamanism, totemism, and animism. It is both monotheistic and polytheistic. Ancestor worship is also a big part of Tengriism.

The chief deity in Tengriism is Tengri or the Sky God, who is unknowable, infinite and timeless. Followers of Tengriism believe that the universe was created by Tengri. It also recognizes gods such as Yer-sub, the goddess of the earth, Erlik, the god of the underworld and nature spirits.
A shaman @Khuvsgul
Genghis Khan was a follower of Tengriism

Mongolia's national hero, Genghis Khan was also a Tengri believer. He attributed his success to Tengri. He said that he did not become great because of his strength and bravery. He became great because of his love for Tengri. He was able to defeat his enemies because of the grace of Tengri. He did not become Khan because of his prowess. He became Khan because of his love for Tengri. He was able to defeat alien enemies because of the grace of Tengri".Tengriism was actually the religion of the Mongol lands until Genghis Khan's fifth-generation descent Uzbeg Khan converted to Islam in the 14th Century.

Tengrism is tolerant of other religions

The early Mongol rulers, though followers of Tengri, were tolerant of other religions. One of the unique features of Tengriism is its non-dogmatism. It did not force its dogma on other religious though other religions succeeded in doing the same. The Mongol rulers believed that they were the sons of Tengri and they could rule as long as they were upright and followed the laws of Tengri. If they became wayward, Tengri would withdraw his grace and support, and the ruler would fall.

Here are some more basic concepts of Tengriism:

Belief in one supreme God

Tengriism believes there is only one supreme God. His name is Tengri and he is unknowable. He is aware of everything and knows everything. So a lot of Mongols and Turks are often heard saying 'only Tengri knows.'

There are other demigods
Tengri also created other spirits. Some of these spirits have bad temperaments. They may be demigods or spirits of the land, water, earth, and the underworld. Some spirits are in charge of certain tribes. These spirits can speak to people, but only some specially chosen ones.

Accepts that there is 'no one true religion'

Tengriism believes there are many paths to God. As Mongke Khan, the fourth great Khan said that just like Tengri gave man five fingers, he has also given different ways to reach God. If you are righteous in your thoughts and upright in your spirit, it doesn't matter which religion you follow. Tengri will accept you.

In conclusion, Tengriism is a non-dogmatic, monotheistic religion, born in the Central Asian steppes. There is no one code in Tengrism, which was why it was able to attract so many people. The religion is slowly being revived in many parts of Eurasia and Central Asia.

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Tengriism or Tengrism is a shamanistic religion practiced in Central Asia. Tengriism was also followed by many other nationalities apart from the Mongols such as the Huns, Bulgars, Turkic, and Altaic people. It is characterized by shamanism, totemism

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Tsagaan Sar - (video link & text based file)

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Tsagaan Sar - (video link & text based file)

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The Tsaggan Sar is one of the most important festivals that Mongolians celebrate. It started in the 13th century. This festival celebrates the start of spring, after the long winter that Mongolians mostly hate because it's when most livestock animals die from the cold. During the springtime most animals live best in spring and warm seasons. The festival also celebrates the first day in the Mongolian calendar. People gather with their families during the festival and eat traditional meals together. This culture should be preserved because it brings the families in Mongolia together, and its a way of getting people together to celebrate that the hard times are over.

More about the history behind Tsagaan Sar:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYUztIF6uMw&t=718s

how to celebrate Tsagaan Sar:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fl9a10s4aSs&t=178s

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Erlik Khan is the god of underworld and death. Before being the goodness of death, he was a celestial god. In their myths, Erlik Khan was kicked out from the celestical realm because of him tempting human to eat the forbidden fruit. I think myths is important in every culture, for example, each of them have their own trait but there are connection between them. I think by keeping this kind of myths and letting more people know, this can show the connection with their rituals...etc. The thread that it's facing might be there are other many myths/god that is similar to this.

https://www.encyclopedia.com/environment/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/erlik

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ÜIgen in Mongolia's myth is one of the highest god, and is consider the one who created the world. He is the one who protects Human. The name of it represents "The vast earth" and "Mother Earth" As we can see, ÜIgen is the god of god which created Human, and is the one who rules over other god. I think the myths of Mongolia is special as it's difference to other myths which more people should know.

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, sometimes called Bai lgen ("rich lgen"), is a deity venerated by the Turkic peoples living in the Altai and Sayan mountains in southern Siberia. lgen is also known to the east, among the Mongol Buriats.

In Altai-Sayan Turkic mythology lgen figures as the highest deity. He created earth and heaven and all living beings. He is the master of the good spirits, the lord of the upper world, the realm of light; he is the protector of humankind. After him stands Erlik Khan, the lord of the lower world, the realm of darkness; Erlik is the master of the evil spirits. Both lgen and Erlik Khan determine the fate of human beings, who live in the middle world.

In the Buriat pantheon lgen plays a secondary but revealing role: the deity is regarded as female, a goddess of earth. The Buriats call her lgen Ekhe ("mother lgen") and consider her the female counterpart of nder Tengeri ("high heaven"). lgen becomes directly equated with earth in the expression , which connotes both "wide earth" and "mother earth."

The Buriat lgen seems to be a relic of an ancient Turco-Mongol cult dedicated to lgen as a terrestrial deity. Her character, however, has undergone an essential transformation in the religion of the Altai-Sayan Turkic people. lgen has gradually usurped functions of the male deity Tengere Kaira Khan ("heaven, the gracious khan"), the highest god of heaven, thus changing herself into a male deity. But lgen has not been able to supplant Tengere Kaira Khan completely. Thus lgen sometimes figures as the first of Tengere Kaira Khan's sons, not residing, as he does, on the seventeenth level of heaven, but on the sixteenth.

Nevertheless, in some of the myths, as well as in popular belief, lgen has succeeded in attaining the rank of highest deity. His name has been placed beside those of other deities used by Turkic and Mongol peoples to designate their highest being: Tengri ("heaven"; Trk); Kke Mngke Tengri ("blue eternal heaven"; Mongols, Buriats); Esege ("father") and Malan Tengeri (Buriats); Khormusta (Mongols, Buriats, Tuvin, and Altaic Turkic peoples); Iuriung Ayy Toon ("white good lord"; Yakuts); Burkhan Bagi ("teacher Buddha"; Tuvin); and Kudai ("god"; Altaic Turkic peoples).

The various sources do not give a uniform description of lgen's character. Several indigenous conceptions of different historical and regional origin became mixed with foreign ideas, owing to Russian Orthodox missionary work and contact with Buddhist neighbors. Nevertheless, lgen's form and functions are sufficiently clear, in spite of discrepancies and contradictions in detail.

Hovering over the primeval ocean, lgen and the first man, in the form of two ducks, create the earth from mud taken from the bottom of the sea. In other traditions lgen uses mud to create the first human. Both motifs are indigenous conceptions. Christian influence may be evident in two other motifs: lgen makes the first woman from two ribs of one of the first seven men, who then becomes her husband; the woman, seduced by a snake, eats forbidden food from the first tree and then gives it to her husband.

Having attempted to become like lgen, the first man is expelled to the lower world by the deity, who names him Erlika figure also well known in Buddhist mythology. The second man, Mangdyshir, the Buddhist bodhisattva Majur, directs the three fish that support the earth, using a leash that is fastened to heaven. Thereby he controls heaven and earth. Having created the first parents of humankind, lgen retreats into his castle on the top of the cosmic mountain. He entrusts the supervision of humans to the third man, Maitr, the Buddha Maitreya.

lgen is described as an old man with a long beard. Thus he becomes identical with White Old Man, a fertility god who is also known among other peoples. lgen also preserves distinct characteristics of a tribal deity. He has a wife, sons, daughters, and servants; many of his sons are spirits of Altaic clans.

The fact that Maitr, the third man, is lgen's representative on earth does not exclude people from direct contact with lgen and does not prohibit them from asking him, for instance, for abundant cattle, for good crops, or for protection against all kinds of evil. The means that can be used for this purpose are prayer and sacrifice, which are also offered to other good gods and spirits, including Erlik Khan. The animals used for sacrifice seem primarily to be horses and sheep. Sacrifices can (but need not) be made with the help of a shaman, as in the famous horse offering described by Wilhelm Radloff. The shaman kills a horse and, accompanying its soul, penetrates through all the layers of heaven until he reaches lgen. The deity informs the shaman whether or not the offering has been accepted favorably, and the shaman learns of impending dangers, such as bad harvests. It is uncertain if the cult of lgen has survived to the present day.

See Also

Bibliography

lgen's character, cult, and position in the religion of the Turkic peoples of southern Siberia have been discussed in great detail by Wilhelm Schmidt in volume 9 of his classic Der Ursprung der Gottesidee (Mnster, 1949). Schmidt gives ample quotations from the works of Russian scholars, particularly from Wilhelm Radloff's Proben der Volksliteratur der trkischen Stmme, vol. 1 ( Saint Petersburg, 1866), and Aus Sibirien (Leipzig, 1893), and from A. N. Anokhin's Materialy po shamanstvu u altaitsev (Leningrad, 1924). lgen and the horse sacrifice dedicated to him have also been dealt with by Mircea Eliade in his Shamanism: Archaic Techniques of Ecstasy, rev. & enl. ed. ( New York, 1964). Brief but valuable elucidations of lgen's role in Turkic and Buriat religions have been given in recent Soviet publications by such authors as V. P. D'iakonova, T. M. Mikhailov, and S. Iu. Nekliudov.

New Sources

Rinchen. Les maté riaux pour l'etude du chamanisme mongol. Wiesbaden, 1959.

Roux, Jean P. "Les Religions dans les Societes Turco-Mongoles." Revue de l'Histoire des Religions 201 (1984): 393420.

Urbanaeva, I. S., and Institut mongolovedeniia buddologii i tibetologii. Shamanskaia filosofiia buriat-mongolov: tsentral'noaziatskoe tengrianstvo v svete dukhovnykh uchenii: v 2-kh chastiakh. Ulan-Ude, 2000.
Klaus Sagaster (1987) Revised Bibliography

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sometimes called bai ülgen ("rich ülgen")

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is a deity venerated by the turkic peoples living in the altai and

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ÜLGEN ÜLGEN , sometimes called Bai Ülgen ("rich Ülgen"), is a deity venerated by the Turkic peoples living in the Altai and Source for information on Ülgen: Encyclopedia of Religion dictionary.

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Atugan is the goddess of virgin. People thinks the emotion of Atugan is hard to tell unless you can see it from the tree's condition. If the tree can give out healthy fruit, it means that her emotion is pretty good, however if there is no fruit, that means there's bad luck and the emotions of Atugan is not good. With these problem, it will also led to crops not growing, finally leading to hunger. From this we can see how Mongolian treats their god/myths good as they also care about how their crops/food will grow, which is also related to their living style of Nomadic.

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The Mongol culture is one of the most unique and impressive in the world. Their people survive on the harsh frigid Eurasian Steppe and maintain many of their traditions and practices - some of which have been around since 3000 BC. Their falconry and horse-riding nomadism, their unique instruments, throat singing and traditional folk songs, their art, vertical script, and traditional garb, make Mongolian culture very well worth preserving.

Storytelling and religion form two very important parts of this peoples' intricate cultural history. Even today, epic songs and stories are a regular part of the nomadic tribes' lives, and apprentices study for years to learn the instruments, throat singing, and the tales themselves.

I've put together some information on the most important of the Mongolian gods, as well as some of the legends and folktales that have been carried through centuries, even millennia, through oral storytelling!

Mongolian gods

Because of their common ancestry on the steppes of Central Asia, you'll find that Mongolian and Turkish mythology share many of the same gods and beliefs. But of course, every community adapts their god-figures to better accommodate their needs, and the Mongols were no different. So, let's dive into what we know of the Mongol people's gods!

Tengri

Tengri is the greatest god in the Mongolian pantheon. Even today, Tengrism remains a regularly practiced religion, involving shamanism and ancestor worship, along with the worship of Tengri as the Heavenly Father.

Tengri created all things and is father to all. He is the leader of the gods, the blue sky above, the bringer of death, totally unknowable and infinite.

Mongolian rulers, at least between the 6th and 8th centuries, believed themselves to be sons of Tengri, capable of ruling because his grace shon upon them. Genghis Khan is known to have followed Tengrism, and attributed his successes to his god.

Daichi Tengri

One of Tengri's forms is Daichi Tengri, the red god of war. During campaigns, soldiers would offer sacrifices to Daichi in order to have his favour in battle.

Erlik Khan

Erlik, or Erlik Khan, is the god of death and the underworld. Sometimes he is represented by a totemic bear, while other times he is described as having a human body, but the grotesque face of a pig.

Erlik is much like the Christian devil - he participated in the creation of mankind, but his pride led to his downfall, and he was banished to preside over the underworld. He judges the dead, but he also resents being ignored. So when sickness appears in a village, it's best to sacrifice to him humbly. Particularly because he is often the cause of that sickness, sending out his evil creatures and his nine children to sew havoc.

Bai-Ülgen or Ülgen

Ülgen is a creator god who is sometimes seen as the same being as Tengri and sometimes not. He symbolizes goodness and abundance, standing in direct opposition to Erlik. He is also the patron of the shamans, who are very important figures in the Mongolian religion.

He is the protector of humanity, and the creator of all living beings, as well as the land and the rainbow. In some areas, he is interchangeable with Gok Tengri. In others, he replaces him, or presides right below him.

Atugan / Etugen / Ötüken

The virgin earth goddess, Atugan is considered the source of all life. She is beyond comprehension but will bestow her kindness on those she favours.

According to ancient Mongolian belief, Atugan's mood could be seen in the condition of the trees. If they were healthy and bore fruit, Atugan was content with humans and would not punish them. If they were failing, her wrath could be expected. This is very well suited to the reality, as weak, failing trees indicate issues with the soil and other conditions, and could easily be an indicator of a poor crop season, and therefore starvation.

Od

Known as Od Iyesi or Od Ana, she is the Mongolian and Turkic goddess of fire. Referred to as the queen of fire or the fire mother, she was born at the creation of the world, when the sky was separated from the earth.

Od Khan or Od Ata is the male form of the same god, known as the king of fire or the fire father. He is depicted as a red-coloured man riding a goat.

Lesser-known Mongol gods

Tung-ak: the patron god of Mongolian tribal chiefs, Tung-ak is well known, but that's about all we know.

Manzasiri Kalmyk: a primaeval god whose body formed either the Mongolian people, or the Mongol lands.

Indra: Indra is the god of sun and light, and is therefore associated with the east.

Mongolian folklore

There are many tales in Mongolian folklore! The culture is a storytelling one, and the legends below have survived for centuries as oral traditions, passed on down the years. There are many more besides, but these are three of the most well known and widespread legends among the Mongolian people.

Namjil and the Morin Khuur
A traditionally dressed man playing the Morin Khuur - Mongolia's national instrument - photo by Mizu basyo
This is the tale behind one of Mongolia's most beautiful and well-loved musical instruments, the Morin Khuur.

The legend follows a young horse herder who went into the Mongolian army. There, they found that he sang so beautifully that they named him Namjil the Cuckoo, and ensured that his only duty was to make music to soothe their spirits.

But after a while, Namjil missed the horses he'd grown up with, and asked his commander if he could take care of the troops' horses. He was permitted to, and Namjil joyously roamed the nearby Steppe with the horses in his care.

One day, a beautiful young woman appeared suddenly before him and asked him to play for her and her family. He quickly agreed, enchanted by her, and went to play for them. The pair fell in love and spent happy days together making music and roaming the steppes. But eventually, Namjil had to return to his home (and his wife).

His love gifted him with a flying horse so that he could return to her every night. All he needed to do, she said, was to always stop a little before his village and walk the horse the rest of the way, so that it had time to tuck back its wings.

So for a long time, this arrangement worked - but his wife grew jealous and confused, because her husband kept disappearing every night. Then one day, Namjil was in a hurry, and flew his horse right into the village, rushing into his yurt. His young wife saw what happened, and in a jealous rage ran out and cut the wings off the horse. It bled out and died that same day.

Devastated at losing both his wonderful horse and his distant beloved, Namjil made the first Morin Khuur from the horse's hairs, skin and bone, and carved its regal face into the headpiece. And with it he played many mournful tunes, lamenting the loss of love.

The Central Asian Epic of King Gesar
Gesar Khan - 1941 painting by Nicholas Roerich
The epic of King Gesar is the longest epic in the world! Dating back at least to the 12th century, one version of the oral epic is over a million verses and 80 hours long. And rather than being a Mongolian epic, it's a central Asian one, with similar tales among the Tibetan, Buryat, Yugu and Tu ethnicities.

The reciting of this epic is even tied into its mythos - it is said that the oral performers are not trained or apprenticed to older masters. Rather, they wake up one day after a strange dream and the newfound ability to recite incredible portions of the epic. As if King Gesar himself were providing divine inspiration, that his story may continue to be told.

A brief summary of the epic

The tale starts before the birth of the hero, when the world is created and the violent spirits that are born with it are bound by oath. But eventually, the evils in the world run rampant, and the gods above get together and decide that a divine hero must be sent to save the earth. The god-child is chosen.

The child is then born into the world to a human couple, but his superhuman strength and fearsome behaviour soon has him and his mother kicked out of their kingdom and they live in the wilderness for years.

But one day, when our hero is still a boy, a horse race is held to determine who will marry the princess and ascend the throne. And of course, our hero wins! So he assumes the title 'Gesar', ascends the golden throne, and takes the young princess as his wife.

Gesar's first campaign is against a demon king, whose wife puts him under a spell after he kills her husband. This spell makes him lose his memory for six years! When he finally returns home, his young wife has fallen in love with the enemy who took Gesar's empty throne during his absence.

The rest of the epic takes Gesar across many lands, fighting enemies on each of the four corners of the earth. He even descends to hell, before finally considering his mission complete at the age of 80, and returning to the heavenly realm.

The Epic of Jangar

The tale of Jangar is a Mongolian oral epic, and can be told in up to one hundred chapters! Most tellings, however, have about twenty-five chapters, which are recited by traditional Jangarchi.

This epic is about another hero child, named Jangar. The tale starts with his great great grandfather, who establishes the city of Bomba and works hard as his peoples' khan till the land is a paradise. Fast forward to Jangar's father, who is another in a long line of mighty khans. This man marries a young woman from a nearby tribe, and for two years they try to have a baby, but it doesn't work.

Eventually, they visit a herder with nineteen kids, and ask him his secret. The herder tells them that what he and his wife do, is they watch the horses rut, and then they go make love. A strange trick, but the khan is desperate for a son, and so they try it. The trick works, and his wife is soon pregnant with their child.

Jangar's birth

But when the baby is born, it is just a grotesque red sack. Horrified, the khan orders it destroyed. But just before they do, he hears a wail insisting they let him out. Their baby is trapped and suffocating in the sack! So they cut it open - only once they've located a special jade sword, as ordinary swords weren't working - and their burly little baby topples out.

Ujung Aldar becomes totally preoccupied with his precious son, who shows so much strength and bravery from birth. The new father gives him all his attention, and an enemy soon takes advantage of the lapse in defences.

A devil invades Bomba

Guljin, a devil, attacks Bomba with 10 000 troops riding black horses, and they quickly defeat Ujung Aldar's soldiers. Desperate to save his son, Ujung Aldar puts a stone of white jade in the infant's mouth and sends him off with his servant to hide in the forests.

Ujung Aldar and his wife are cut down, and Guljin takes the throne. The servant, after leaving the baby in a mountain cave, returns to his master, sees the devastation, and tries to avenge them. He is quickly killed, and the baby is left all alone.

Jangar in the forest

After days sucking on the white jade to calm his hunger and his fears, little Jangar begins to cry and wail. A nearby hunter hears him, and when he finds the teary infant, he decides to take him home and names him Jangar.

The child immediately approves of this new name, and declares that he will become master of the world. This frightens the hunter, and he changes his mind about adopting the boy, instead simply bringing him some food and water and leaving him to his fate.

But nothing is bringing Jangar down! The child crawls to the entrance of his cave and roars. The forest animals hear him and, curious, go to see what all the noise is. They become enamoured with the little baby, and soon Jangar is learning to run with the antelopes and roar with the tigers and seek out fruit with the deer.

For two years Jangar lives in the wild until one day an old man sees him sitting under a tree. The man tells him what happened to his parents and trains him in magic and martial arts! But then the boy wakes up under the tree and it was all a dream. Still, he finds that he can suddenly uproot trees and smash giant rocks...

Jangar returns to Bomba

At the ripe old age of three, Jangar decides it is time to return to Bomba and reclaim the throne. So he fights his way back to the palace, and when he finds the devil he plunges his spear into his heart. He then climbs onto the roof of the palace, and calls his people back. They return from where they fled during the invasion, and quickly rebuild a flourishing nation.

Jangar's myth continues from here with many enemy defeats and the expansive growth of his territory. And all still as a child!

Last thoughts on Mongol mythology

Mongolian culture and traditions are incredibly complex and interesting - these are just a few of the stories that surround them. There are so many tales and gods and myths besides!

Unfortunately, because it is an oral culture, with few tales written down, not very much has survived the millennia. And even these will have changed with the cultural and religious influences that shape people. Still, it's amazing to have access to such a fantastic mythic culture and such exciting legends!

Do you know any Mongolian legends or myths that I've missed? I would love to add them!

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Mongolian mythology | Gods & legends of the nomadic tribes - Travel n History

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The Mongol culture is one of the most unique and impressive in the world. Their people survive on the harsh frigid Eurasian Steppe and maintain many of their traditions and practices - some of which have been around since 3000 BC. Their falconry and horse-riding nomadism, their unique instruments, throat singing and traditional folk songs, [...]

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Khorol is a tile-based game that can play with 2-8 player that usually is played with 4 players. The goal of the game is to get rid of all the card that a player have, meaning without any card, you won. In traditional game, the khorol is made by wood, on each khorol, there are 60 figures, representing 4 from 15 of the figures. These figures includes animals, Zendmene (the best card)...etc. When the game begins, there will be 5x5 khorol being placed and players will take them in order and try to build a house out from the card they have, while there are some cards that can destroy other player's house. If a player can built all the houses, it means he/she has won, some people will also add money to the game. It is significant to protect the game and keep this culture as from the game it showed the spirit of Mongolians as their game is also about building home, and the card art are also special with many varieties.

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Khorol(Zendmene) - Ancient Game of Mongolia

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Khorol is one of the ancient games played by Mongolians. Khorol is crafted with wood blocks, sized and shaped similar to ancient dominos.

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Ail ger is a home building traditional game for the Mongolian kid. The concept of the game is like building a home, while it's building a Ger (Mongolian house). The game is like the game "house" that has been played in the western country. First, children will use rock to form a circle, representing a "Ger" while as other stone could represent furniture and stuff. Last but not least, they will collect different shape and color's stone to represent their cows as most of the family have cows. What makes the game special is it shows how Mongolian treat their living style importantly as even in their game for children, it gives them a good foundation of their "ger" as well as showing how their living style is different from others.

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Mongolian traditional games can be divided into 2 general types on the basis of their general form; games which are played using simple and readily-available materials such as stones sticks, or animal bones and games which are played using objects cr

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The most unique game from Mongolian is the game called Shagai, people use clean anklebones from sheep that is smooth also. Each side of the bone represent different things, for example, it represent horse, sheep, goat and camel. The game could be play easily as most of the family in Mongolia has their own sheep. With these sheep they can easily get what is needed for the game, what is left is that they can wait to a auspicious day and go on top of a mountain to played the game that is related to shagai which is "multicolored turtle" The bone itself not just represent body part of a turtle but also 5 other color and elements from their culture. By playing the game, you will need to gain the whole body part of the turtle in order to win the game. This game not just combine their culture on turtle and shagai (anklebones) it also includes how people are treating this game very holy as they need to find a good day to play it. We need to keep and protect the game in order to understand more of their culture and history.

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Mongolian traditional games can be divided into 2 general types on the basis of their general form; games which are played using simple and readily-available materials such as stones sticks, or animal bones and games which are played using objects cr

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Shatar is a Mongolian chess game that is being played before the FIDE chess has replaced them by the CCCP. What makes the game different is that the movement of queen is not the same as it combines the movement of a rook and Ferz. The Noin (king) can't castle during game like fide chess, queen can be move like rook, however the pirce Mori (knight) can't give mate to the Noin. Last is that the pawn can't double initial step, including it can only be promoted to Berse (queen). The chess game is the original chess game, however it was taken over by the FIDE chess, which is the chess we have nowadays. I believe it is urgent to keep the game and keep it's unique and original culture, so that people can know how chess first work before nowadays chess were introduce.

PPT: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1hOjTYPlv3TShCx_fqKAUZ3O_yVDr1OuSbzSimIys88c/edit?usp=sharing

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In 1993, AISE organized a `Grand Prix' tournament (played by postal mail) on Shatar. In later years, more Shatar tournaments were held in this game.

Rules
The same pieces and the same startup position as orthodox chess are used, but with the following modifications:

The King (Noin) cannot castle.

The Queen (Berse) can move like a rook or one square diagonally.

The Knight (Mori) cannot give mate.

The Pawn (Chu) does not have a double initial step, with the exception of the pawn before the queen. Pawns only promotes to Berse (Queen).

Rooks (Terge) and Bishops (Teme) have the same moves as in orthodox chess.
The first move of the game is obligatory: 1. d2-d4, followed by 1. d7-d5.

There are different types of check: Shak is given by queen, rook or knight; Tuk is given by a bishop, and zod is given by a pawn. As written above, a mate with a knight is forbidden. Moreover, one may not mate except by a shak (i.e., checking by queen or rook), or by a mate that is followed after a series of checks that included at least one shak. E.g., if we mate the opponent after checking with a knight, then in the next move with a pawn, and then mating with a bishop, then the game is won. If one mates the king without fulfilling the criterium, i.e., with a bishop or pawn, or after a series of bishop and pawn checks, then the game is a draw - this is called Niol. Also, if a player has only a king and no other pieces left, then the game is a draw - this is called Robado.
Written by Hans Bodlaender, based upon a text by Fabio Forzoni. WWW page created: February 24, 1998. ﻿

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In 1993, AISE organized a `Grand Prix' tournament (played by postal mail) on Shatar. In later years, more Shatar tournaments were held in this game. The same pieces and the same startup position as orthodox chess are used, but with the following modifications: The King (Noin) cannot castle.

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Mongolia's fine art is special comparing to other fine art that has been found from other country. The place Mongolian's fine art was found is in caves, which most of the fine art have portrait of animals and human. The art can help people nowadays to understand more of their living styles, including more further development. As the fine art that has been created in modern days usually contains nature, animal or humans. This shows again how their living style and value is different from other, and is important to the history of the world.

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Are you inspired by art ? Do sensational brushstrokes with incredible colors, born in the imagination of artistic geniuses make your heart skip a beat?

Whether or not art is at the forefront of your mind when you travel, no trip with Ayan Travel, the best travel agency in Mongolia, is complete without taking in at least one visual masterpiece of Mongolian Fine Art. Take a trip to the right museum's gallery and have a one-on-one with these must-see 9 masterpieces and jump at these while on your travel in Mongolia.

"Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time."

1. "One Day in Mongolia", 1911-1912

This masterwork has created by B.Sharav who was born in Gobi-Altai province and renowned artist of early 19 th century of Mongolia. His most famous painting, "One day in Mongolia", is depicting every aspect of nomadic people's life in Mongolia in a slightly humoristic way.
by B.Sharav | Mongolian Fine Art
As legend has it, the Tibetan-born reincarnate ruler Bogd Khan (1870-1924) commissioned him to paint scenes representative of life in the Mongolian countryside during the first years of the Khan's theocratic rule over Mongolia. "One Day in Mongolia" painting that contains many events, such as traditional wedding, to make engagement, making a felt, to worship a mountain, funeral rituals, to move from place to place, hunting, animal husbandry and farming etc.
2. "Good Morning, Mama ", 1962
Motherhood is the most beautiful stage in the life of woman. Portraying her emotions and love to the child on canvas is tough task! "Good Morning, Mama" is one of the series pictures of "Morning of my country", which is a beautifully illustrated by the artist D.Amgalan who was born in, Sukhbaatar province , Eastern Mongolia describes the joyfulness of little boy who is coming to his mother.
by D.Amgalan | Mongolian Fine Art
While you see the painting, as feels like everyone's mind will returns to a childhood time and heart will fulfill of happiness.The painting was depicted on the white background using just red and black colors. In addition to say, the big version of the painting is now displayed in the National Center for Maternal and Child Health of Mongolia.
3. "Fight of Stallons", 1958
I can't imagine, nomadic Mongolians without horses. It is traditionally said that A Mongol without a horse is like a bird without the wings. So, artist O. Tsevegjav, who was born in Mongolian vast steppe Dornod province , in his painting mostly describes Mongolian horses .

The "Fight of Stallons" painting was created over a period of 15 years and finalized in 1958 which is made alive by oil paints, and is an exciting work of art that captures many interesting sections of horses, grass, blue sky and sunlight is illustrated with everything in nature.There had been arguments of two stallions and herdsman's proudness of their life were contained in this painting.

One of the famous impressionistic work of G.Odon who was born in Mongolian Buryat Tribe's Dornod province, depicts a rural people resting after their harvest. The painting shows a period of harvest time representative of the Mongolia's Socialist time during the medium of 19 th century.
by G.Odon | Mongolian Fine Art
However, it is obvious that the shows eight various types of young to old people's characters in the forefront. Some would say this was to show the negative state of this sociaty. The guy, who is holding alchoholical drinks inside of his traditional clothes, seems punished by other people. While this explanation seems unverifiable, he is main character of this work.

Mongolia has a unique culture of traditional paintings which has been developed from simple rock drawings to Buddhist art and fine art form. Mongol zurag (means Mongolian painting) is a distinct style of painting that developed under a range of influences including nomadic life, traditional costumes, religious beliefs and climates.

"Migration" painting was created by Ts.Minjuur who was born in Mongolian western Zavkhan province , he is well known by his work of Mongolian 1 tugrug currency. He is one of the most artistic painter and the painting shows the mongolian traditional culture of migration.

by Ts.Minjuur | Mongolia Fine Art

Expectedly, you can see all of the views and ranges of the area in which he attemts to show, you will get an incredible sense of how nomadic Mongolians move their places during the four seasons. The nomads packed their gers on camelbacks and all along the way, families will invite the passing nomads to share some tea and dairy products.

The Buddhist art of Mongolia first began to flower with the appearance of the first Living Buddha Jebtsundamba Zanabazar (1635-1723). The most important point of note with regards to Mongolian Buddhist art is the vast number of pieces executed in applique. In Tibetan Buddhist art as well, one finds quite a few applique works in addition to the "tangka" executed in mineral pigments on cotton.

This work of art by painter Y.Yadamsuren who was born in Chinghis Khan's homeland Khentii province . He also was the craftsmen and he decorated and revised museum of Choijin Lama temple and Bogd Khaan winter Palace museum.
by Y.Yadamsuren | Mongolian Fine Art
This descriptive painting was captures the typical Mongolian old man who was sitting on the rug and playing Mongolian traditional musical instrument horse fiddle. Over the years its value has increased significantly as illustration of traditional costume, culture and musical instrument by his paintings.

The realist modern painter D.Damdinsuren who was born in Mongolian historical site of Khentii province, he was monk in his young age. The painting "Camel caravan" is captures the camel caravan and entire scenery of the mongolian steppe.
by D.Damdinsuren | Mongolian Fine Art 8. "Steppe ger"
Created by one of the famous artist N.Tsultem who was born in Arkhangai province , central Mongolia, this fascinating work showcases Mongolian vast steppes and nomadic Mongolian culture. Mongolian accommodation ger, two humped camel, paved roads from far destination, blue sky, moving clouds are detailed described in one plane.
by N.Tsultem | Mongolian Fine Art
You will feel the impression of Mongolian nomadic culture and gve an expression as Mongolian countryside life.
9. "Rebirth" 2003
It is almost impossible for anyone to claim that they haven't heard or seen the painting of Mona Lisa. It is also impossible to discuss art without making mention of this beautiful painting. Have you been imagined of if Mona Lisa was reborn in Mongolian Steppe? A modern artist S.Zayasaikhan was created the mysterious work of Mona Lisa's Rebirth in Mongolian Steppe.
by S.Zayasaikhan | Mongolian Modert Art
The woman who is European face and wearing mongolian costume and sitting on Mongolian Steppe. This fascinating painting was published on interesting book Mona Lisa Reimagined by Goff Books, USA. This book features nearly 300 different portraits of Mona Lisa and emerging artists from over 50 different countries.

Let your life be your art.

Travel is inspiring. It feeds your soul and breathes new energy into your life. It sparks creativity and broadens your horizons. Especially when you take in a little art during your vacation. If you are art lover, we help you craft your own masterpiece of an art trip in Mongolia.

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9 Must See Masterpieces of Mongolian Paintings | Mongolia Travel Blog

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if you are art lover, your trip in Mongolia won't be complete without taking in at least one visual masterpieces of Mongolian Fine Art. Masterpieces as One Day in Mongolia, Fights of Stallons, After work, Migration, Old Storyteller, Steppe Ger, Camel Caravan are the most famous Mongolian paintings which can tell you and show you imagination of nomadic Mongols fine art while on your travelling in Mongolia.

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Mongolia has a wide variety of art form, one being textile. The reason why Mongolian has such a good industry of textile is because of the animals that they are feeding: sheep. In the past, people use weaving to create carpet or clothings. Nowadays, people use it to create special textile product, such as carpet to around the world, as it also shows their creativity. By keeping this culture safe, people can develop more from the skills, as well as making sure it keeps goes on (culture) Nowadays people use machine to make, however in the past they use their hand and wool

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The textile industry in Mongolia has seen significant growth in recent years, with a focus on traditional techniques and materials.

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Mongolia wood carving isn't just being used in the way they perform art, but also in their ger. For example in their ger, they will use wood to carve bracket, wall, door...etc. By using wood carving to do this, they can make the ger more stable and special. There are several more stuff they use it by wood carving which includes instrument, horse, or some other arts. I think we should protect this culture because wood carving has been used in many places in Mongolia, and it's important to the people, as well as keeping their traditional way of presenting ger and arts.

Online file/picture: https://mongolianstore.com/wood-engraving-crafts/ From this website, we can see the wooden carving Mongolian people made and was discovered after. From these wood carving, people can understand more into their history.

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Mongolia has rich heritage of wood crafts. From yearly times, Mongolian nomads used to prefer wooden household accessories because of their light weight and durable quality during constant movement of nomads. Mongolian artisans have been making wooden furniture- the Ger, cart, box, cupboard, bucket, utensils, and musical instruments. Below are 2 example of wooden art of nomads as Mongolian Wood Carved Figures:

The Ger (Yurt): The traditional dwelling of the nomad's Ger and its decoration is an entire gallery of arts and crafts of Mongolia. Ger consists of expanding lattice wall-sections, a door-frame, bent roof poles and a crown, cover, roof, felt cover and belt rope. Nowadays, Mongolian Ger is being made with more and more decorations and carvings. And then Gers with carving decorations are very popular and in high demand. Mongolians cared for the quality of wood and paid particular attention to correct drying and wood processing.

Morin Khuur: The making of Mongolian national musical instruments has been regarded as folk handicrafts. The most widespread and honored folk musical instruments have been Morin Khuur or Horse head fiddle. On the top of the Morin Khuur, beautiful horse head is carved out. Beautiful ornamental designs were carved on each side of the square body, the peg-head, and the bow.

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Mongolia has rich heritage of wood crafts. From yearly times, Mongolian nomads used to prefer wooden household accessories. Mongolian Wood Carved Figures ...

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A special rituals in Mongolia is the sacrifice of Mongolia. Horse is important in Mongolia as they are in Nomadic living style, and people are riding horse while they are traveling around. During the bronze age of Mongolia, they use Blunt weapon to sacrifice the horse as we can see from the history. Nowadays, they are less and less horse sacrifice, but mostly animals such as sheep. The reason they do this is either to pray to ancestors or they are celebrating. I think keeping this culture can not just show their respects towards ancestors and how they treat rituals very well, after they sacrifice they will also consume it and will not waste them.

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Mongolia's traditions of worshiping sacred sites has been listed on Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding. The traditions of this is that people will worship the good land that people are living, including the mountains, skies and land. The problem people faced is that the government want to use the lands to develop the countries with the land the Mongolian are using, however they are still keeping the traditions of worshiping. There will also be temple for people to worship. I think this is important to keep the traditions because if the government took the land, the people who are living there might lost their land to worship.

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A. Cover sheet

A.1.

State Party

Name of State Party

A.2.

Date of deposit of the instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession

This information is available online.

Date of deposit of the instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession

2005-06-29

A.3.

Element inscribed on the Urgent Safeguarding List that is the subject of this report

Name of element

Mongolian traditional practices of worshipping the sacred sites

Inscribed in

2013

Submitting State(s)

A.4.

Reporting period covered by this report

Please indicate the period covered by this report.

Reporting period covered by this report

01-01-2018 - 31-12-2021

A.5.

Other elements inscribed on the Urgent Safeguarding List, if any

Please list all other elements from your country inscribed on the Urgent Safeguarding List, together with the year of inscription; for multinational elements, please indicate the other States concerned.

Other elements inscribed on the Urgent Safeguarding List, if any

Coaxing ritual for camels (2015)

Folk long song performance technique of Limbe performances - circular breathing (2011)

Mongol Biyelgee, Mongolian traditional folk dance (2009)

Mongol Tuuli, Mongolian epic (2009)

Mongolian calligraphy (2013)

Traditional music of the Tsuur (2009)

A.6.

Executive summary of the report

Please provide an executive summary of the report that will allow general readers to understand the current status of the element, any positive or negative impacts of inscription, the implementation of safeguarding measures during the reporting period and their possible update for the following years.

Executive summary of the report

The "Mongolian traditional practices of worshipping the sacred sites" was inscribed on the on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding of UNESCO 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, in 2017. Accordingly, Mongolia is taking step-by-step measures to revive the "Mongolian traditional practices of worshiping the sacred sites", to strengthen its capacity and to safeguard at the national and local levels. The protection activities included in the nomination documents were carried out as planned, including research, training, advocacy, and the creation of a legal environment. It also covered participation of the local authorities, local people, heritage practitioners, their descendants, folk artists, cultural activists, experts and researchers from governmental and non-governmental organizations. In order to preserve and promote sacred sites nationwide, related resolutions have been issued and a legal environment has been created.
One of the major activities related to the ongoing work is the UNESCO project "Supporting Sustainable Development by Safeguarding Mongolian traditional practices and rituals of worshipping the sacred sites" (2019-2021) aimed at reviving the heritage. The project was initiated by the UNESCO-accredited NGO - "Natural and Cultural Heritage Protection Fund". Implemented in close collaboration with the Government Implementing Agency, the Department of Culture and Arts; National Center for Cultural Heritage; related NGOs; social media organizations; communities; and heritage practitioners. With aim to contribute to the strengthening of the sustainability of the heritage element the project launched the "Let's Respect our Motherland and Heritage" campaign to establish the ability to study, document, and promote heritage sites, increase public awareness, train trainers, and implemented series of activities reaching certain progress.
Since the 1990s, the Government of Mongolia has been actively pursuing a policy of reviving and promoting national culture, customs and traditions. Although Mongolian people put much effort in reviving the sacred sites, and traditional customs, there are still some negative consequences. Mongolia's urbanization, and rural-urban migration have reduced the scope of traditional cultural spaces. In addition, due to the country's rich sources of minerals such as coal, gold, and copper, numbers of mining companies are being operating in the country. As a result, large areas of Mongolia have exploration and mining licenses, which continue to threaten traditional customs and traditions. In addition, too many people participate in sacred sites' worshipping rituals, which has a negative impact on the environment. Activities in the coming years will include support to ensure that rituals are properly practiced, reducing movement from rural to urban areas, slowing migration, and mitigating risk-affected sites at the mining areas.

A.7.

Contact person for correspondence

Provide the name, address and other contact information of the person responsible for correspondence concerning the report.

Title (Ms/Mr, etc.)

Ms

Family name

Tserendorj

Given name

Tsolmon

Institution/position

Coordination Officer for Policy Implementation of Intangible Cultural Heritage Department of Cultural Heritage Ministry of Culture

Address

Ministry of Culture of Mongolia, Sukhbaatar district, 7th sub-district, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Telephone number

+976 51-265617 312735; +976 99057308

E-mail address

tsolmon@moc.gov.mn

Other relevant information

B

Ms

B. Status of element inscribed on the Urgent Safeguarding List

Refer to the nomination file or to previous reports, if any, as the basis for reporting on the current status of the element, and report only on relevant changes since the date of inscription on the List or since the previous report. Nomination files, specific timetables and earlier reports, if any, are available at https://ich.unesco.org or from the Secretariat, upon request.

The State Party shall pay special attention to the role of gender and shall endeavour to ensure the widest possible participation of the communities, groups and, where applicable, individuals concerned as well as relevant non-governmental organizations during the process of preparing this report, and is asked to describe how it has done so in point D below.

B.1.

Social and cultural functions

Please explain the social and cultural functions and meanings of the element today, within and for its community, the characteristics of the bearers and practitioners, and any specific roles or categories of persons with special responsibilities towards the element, among others. Attention should be given to any relevant changes related to inscription criterion U.1 ('the element constitutes intangible cultural heritage as defined in Article 2 of the Convention').

Social and cultural functions

The worshipping of the sacred sites first originated with shamanism and was later enriched by Buddhist compassion. From the 1930s onward until the 1990s, this beautiful tradition was almost forgotten and threatened with extinction due to the communist ideology's policy of denying and suppressing as an "old", "outdated" tradition and "religious heresies".
This ritual is a complex religious and cultural heritage of Mongolia and plays an important role in the spiritual, social, cultural, and artistic life. These include:
1. It is important to ensure unity. Sacred sites worshipping practices are activities in which people participate voluntarily. During the worshipping, the local people share the traditions, teach children and young people how to worship the sacred sites, communities participate actively in the preparations for the event voluntarily and sincerely. In this sense, it is important by promoting to the local people the need to preserve the natural and cultural heritage, to unite for the good of their homeland, to respect each other, to work, and to live together.
2. It plays an important role in setting the norms of humane social relations. This tradition plays a valuable role in regulating social relations, such as human to nature, humans to animals, and human to human relations. This ritual is manifested in the fact that people see nature as an entity that has its' spirits and respects it by bringing sacrifices to them and entrusting their livelihood to nature, thus creating a positive relationship between humans and nature.
Mongolians also believe that animals and birds have the same right to live in peace as humans do, and the tradition teaches to have compassionate relationships to not do the unjust killing of animals and loot their pastures.
During the rituals of worshipping of the sacred sites, people refrain from bad deeds, such as the use of alcohol, causing unrest, quarreling, and harming the land and nature, which strengthens humane and compassionate relations between people.
This ritual, transmitted and inherited by Mongolians, plays an important role in cultivating and enriching the idea of protecting nature and wildlife, and preserving valuable cultural heritage. The Traditional worshipping of the sacred sites has evolved over the centuries and has found its present form.

B.2.

Assessment of its viability and current risks

Please describe the current level of viability of the element, particularly the frequency and extent of its practice, the strength of traditional modes of transmission, the demographics of practitioners and audiences and its sustainability. Please also identify and describe the threats, if any, to the element's continued transmission and enactment and describe the severity and immediacy of such threats, giving particular attention to any strengthening or weakening of the element's viability subsequent to inscription.

Assessment of its viability and current risks

Worshipping of the sacred sites is a widespread heritage in all provinces of Mongolia. Today, the tradition has been revived and has ability survive further in the future. Rituals are traditionally organized by local people, and the frequency of rituals varies according to tradition. State-level activities are performed once every five years, while provinces and soum (administration unit) level rituals are performed once every three years. Herders, on the other hand, perform their rituals mainly in spring and autumn each year. Worshipping activities are organized free and people of all ages, regardless of age, gender, or religion can participate freely and voluntarily in the worshipping rituals, so that the tradition could developed and maintained easily, with the support of the general public. However, there are still some negative factors affecting it.
Current threats to he sacred sites include mining activities, population dispersal, urbanization, urban migration, overgrazing due to overpopulation of the domestic animals, and climate change. The most serious of these is mining.
In order to intensively reduce these negative impacts on heritage, a detailed assessment and analysis of these threats and risks that directly and indirectly affect the natural and cultural environment of the sacred area will be conducted, and the scope and frequency of impacts will be determined. There is a need for the dedicated policy to be developed and implemented.

B.3.

Implementation of safeguarding measures

Please report on the safeguarding measures described in the nomination file, and previous report, if any. Describe how they have been implemented and how they have substantially contributed to the safeguarding of the element during the reporting period, taking note of external or internal constraints such as limited resources. Include, in particular, information on the measures taken to ensure the viability of the element by enabling the community to continue to practise and transmit it. Include the following detailed information concerning the implementation of the set of safeguarding measures or safeguarding plan:

B.3.a.

Objectives and results

Indicate what primary objective(s) were addressed and what concrete results were attained during the reporting period.

Objectives and results

B.3.b.

Safeguarding activities

List the key activities that were carried out during this reporting period in order to achieve these expected results. Please describe the activities in detail and note their effectiveness or any problems encountered in implementing them.

Safeguarding activities

B.3.c.

Participation of communities, groups or individuals in the safeguarding activities

Describe how communities, groups or, if appropriate, individuals as well as relevant non-governmental organizations have effectively participated, including in terms of gender roles, in the safeguarding measures. Describe the role of the implementing organization or body (name, background, etc.) and the human resources that were available for implementing safeguarding activities.

Participation of communities, groups or individuals in the safeguarding activities

- Prior to 1990, worshipped sites remained sacred. There was an unwritten law that forbade the cutting of trees from these sacred places of worship, and the extermination of animals. Ritual taboos have been enforced by local people, therefore protected their places of worship. However, since the 1990s, the sacred sites were hit hard by the mining of resources. Local people and communities started protesting against mining activities, an example of this is the fact that Noyon-Uul mountain was liberated from mining and became a state sacred mountain in 2021 as a result of the "Noyon-Uul Rescue Movement" struggle. The public, the people, civil society movements, researchers, representatives of governmental and non-governmental organizations, and local government organizations have been actively involved in removing mining license from the Noyon-Uul and making it a state sacred mountain.
- In order to protect sacred sites nationwide, related resolutions and decisions have been issued and formalized. For example, the Dornod Province's Citizens' Representatives Khural passed Resolution No. 06 in 2017 to take 12 sacred areas under legal protection, not to issue mining licenses in the region, and not to mine sand and gravel in the Kherlen, Onon, Ulz and Galin river basins. It became a good practice of creation of the legal environment. Local governments are also involved in public awareness campaigns, such as tree planting, publications on the environmental protection brochures and books, creation of the series of TV contents, and photo contests among children.
- In addition, the UNESCO-funded project, which started in 2018, has had a significant impact on participation of the communities in the safeguarding and protection of cultural heritage. Representatives of ethnic groups and local people who worship sacred mountains and sites were invited to participate in national and local seminars and trainings. Organized training seminars in 21 provinces and localities, involving citizens of all soums and their heritage practitioners and successors. These trained heritage practitioners are active in their respective soums and communities. The project implementers organized a national campaign "Let's cherish our motherland and heritage" with the main goal of conveying the project's goals and ideas among those who participate in the worshipping and protection practices of the sacred sites and transmitted the tradition from their ancestors. The research expedition were conducted at four regions. Local people actively participated in the survey. Communities and heritage practitioners played an important role in interviewing, monitoring, evaluating, documenting, and filming. During the expedition, a project brochure, "Urag Udam (Ancestry)" newspaper and other videos and promotional materials were distributed to the community, heritage practitioners, government officials and NGOs. One of the major activities of the project was to create a national information database of sacred sites in Mongolia. The most effective way to involve the public was to organize a national competition for best practices to revive and promote worshipping traditions and customs. It involved a wide range of local people in all activities of the project.

B.3.d.

Timetable

Indicate in a timetable when each activity was implemented.

Timetable

- In 2017, 12 sacred sites were taken under legal protection by the 6th resolution of the Citizens' Representatives Khural of Dornod province.
- In 2018-2022, the UNESCO-funded project "Supporting sustainable environmental and cultural development in Mongolia through the revival and transmission of the Traditional practices of worshipping the sacred sites" is being implemented.
- In 2018-2020, the NGO "Natural and Cultural Heritage Protection Foundation" launched the two-year "Let's cherish the lands of our descedants" campaign.
- In October 2019, the national level conference "Mongolian People's Campaign" was organized.
- In order to create a registration and information database, build the capacity of registration staff, and organize the registration process, in 2019, a national training on "Restoration of Mongolian customs and rituals of worshipping the sacred sites" was organized and trained more than 300 registration workers.
- In April 2020, the Administration office for the World Heritage - Burkhan Khaldun Mountain and its surrounding sacred landscape began operate to implement the management of the protection and conservation of the site.
- In September and October 2020, the NGO "Natural and Cultural Heritage Foundation" in cooperation with the "Eco-Asia" Institute and the "Urag, Udam (Ancestors)" Association, conducted a research and promotion tour in the Gobi and Eastern regions.
- In 2021, 5 guide books on protected areas in the Western, Eastern, Gobi and Khangai regions of Mongolia were created and distributed to general public.
- In June-November 2021, the NGO "Natural and Cultural Heritage Foundation" organized the Best Practice Competition in cooperation with the Government Implementing Agency - Department of Culture and Arts, National Center for Cultural Heritage, Mongolian National Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Culture and Arts Departments of the provinces and the capital city.
- Presidential Decree No. 81 of 2021 established the Noyon-Uul Mountain as a state sacred mountain preserving the culture of the Hunnu Dynasty, and established a protective border zone.

B.3.e.

Budget expenditures

Provide the detailed amounts of the funds used for the implementation of each activity (if possible, in US dollars), identifying the funding source for each (governmental sources, in-kind community inputs, etc.).

Budget

According to the Law on Protection of Cultural Heritage, approved by the Parliament of Mongolia in 2014, Article 41 states "Activities for the protection of cultural heritage shall be financed by the following resources: state budgets; local budgets; assistance, donations and funds provided by Mongolian and foreign citizens, as well as legal entities and international organizations; other resources"; Article 13.1.13. "to allocate funds in the state annual budget for the activities to promote, transmit, preserve and protect the cultural properties inscribed on the World Heritage List and submit nomination proposals of cultural heritage for the World Heritage List"; Article 15.1.1. "to monitor and approve the necessary budget to develop plans and programmes for implementation, as well as provide implementation of the legislation concerning the protection of cultural heritage within their territory"; Article 16.1.12. Powers of the Governors of provinces and the capital city is "to identify practitioners of intangible cultural heritage, as well as provide publicity and assistance and organize activities of transmission". These articles allow the local budget to be spend on the protection of intangible cultural heritage.
1. The activities of worshiping the sacred sites are organized annually by the administrative units, local councils, local citizens and business entities with the joint financial support. An average of 990 worshipping activities are performed annually in Mongolia, costing approximately 700,000 MNT per activity. The financial support provided as following:
from the State budget -150,000,000 MNT,
from individuals - 400,000,000 MNT,
from NGOs - 150,000,000 MNT,
Total: 693,000,000 ?
2. $ 98,000 was spent in the framework of the UNESCO-funded project "Supporting sustainable environmental and cultural development in Mongolia through the revival and transmission of the Traditional practices of worshipping the sacred sites".
A total of $ 341,157 was spent during the reporting period.

B.3.f.

Overall effectiveness of the safeguarding activities

Provide an overall assessment of the effectiveness of the activities undertaken to achieve the expected results and of the efficiency of the use of funds for implementing the activities. Please indicate how the activities contributed to achieving the results and whether other activities could have contributed better to achieving the same results. Also indicate whether the same results could have been achieved with less funding, whether the human resources available were appropriate and whether communities, groups and individuals could have been better involved.

Overall effectiveness of the safeguarding activities

As a result of amendments to the Law on the Protection of Mongolia's Cultural Heritage in 2014, and the tireless struggle of the people, Noyon-Uul Mountain was designated as a state sacred mountain and protected. In Dornod province, 12 sacred sites were taken under the province protection.
In 2018-2021, the UNESCO-funded project "Supporting sustainable environmental and cultural development in Mongolia through the revival and transmission of the Traditional practices of worshipping the sacred sites" has had certain results in safeguarding the traditional practices of worshipping the sacred sites and in protection of the sacred sites. The survey of sacred sites, practices, and heritage practitioners was conducted in 2019. The research team worked in four regions. A total of 430 sacred sites were visited, 118 sacred sites were documented, and 86 people were interviewed. In addition, more than 300 hours of audio and video recordings and about 5,000 photographs were made. The materials collected as a result of these surveys were classified based on the characteristics of sacred sites, practices, and the relevant communities, and the final results of the survey were compiled into a database. Four guidebooks were developed on four regional surveys and distributed throughout the country.
Based on the results of the four regional research expeditions, the Governmental Implementing Agency - Department of Culture and Arts, the National Center for Cultural Heritage and the NGO "Natural and Cultural Heritage Foundation" jointly organized the two-days seminar in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia on October 23, 24, 2019, to strengthen the implementation of the UNESCO project. 70 participants were from government and non-government organizations, Governing Administrations of 21 provinces, representatives of relevant communities and members of the Organizing Committee. The national workshop was an important step in expanding the scope of the project, intensifying the process, and rewarding local people and trainers. During the workshop, information, methodologies and recommendations such as introductory manuals, recommendations and introductory videos were introduced and distributed to the participants.
The project implementing NGO "Foundation for the Protection of Natural and Cultural Heritage", in partnership with the "Urag, Udam, Ulamjlal (Ancestors, Descendants and Traditions)" Association, organized a competition for the best practices under the motto "Let's cherish our ancestors' sacred sites and places of worship", between October 2019 and June 2021, a total of 20 heritage practitioners were selected and awarded.
A national seminar was organized in October 2019 with the participation of the Departments of Culture and Arts of the Governor's Offices of the provinces. The trainings were conducted taking into account province trainers, the cultural space, conditions and the specifics of the local area. As a result of these local workshops, about 400 local cultural center managers and cultural workers gained knowledge and experience on how to properly organize rituals and how to create and maintain a local database.
The Project Implementer, the "Foundation for the Protection of Natural and Cultural Heritage", and the National Center for Cultural Heritage worked together to establish a national registration and information database of sacred sites, mountain worship customs, and heritage bearing communities. Detailed instructions on the use of the registration and information system have been developed and distributed to national and local workshop participants and the State information and registration database. As of October 31, 2021, a total of 810 sacred sites, and heritage practitioners, have been registered in the State registration and information database.
-Based on the research and data collected as a result of the UNESCO- funded project, a series of books, programs and documentaries have been produced in the Gobi, Khangai, Western and Eastern regions to increase public awareness, protect and promote sacred sites and practices.

C

Tserendorj

C. Update of the safeguarding measures

C.1.

Updated safeguarding plan

Please provide an update of the safeguarding plan included in the nomination file or in the previous report. In particular provide detailed information as follows:

1. a. What primary objective(s) will be addressed and what concrete results will be expected?

2. b. What are the key activities to be carried out in order to achieve these expected results? Describe the activities in detail and in their best sequence, addressing their feasibility.

3. c. How will the State(s) Party(ies) concerned support the implementation of the updated safeguarding plan?

Updated safeguarding plan

C.2.

Timetable for future actitivies

Provide a timetable for the updated safeguarding plan (within a time-frame of approximately four years).

00310,00311,00312,00543,00873,01061

Timetable

In order to achieve the desired results, the following activities will be organized:
Researches:
- Conduct surveillance in risky areas in the Eastern and Gobi regions of Mongolia and determine further measures to be implemented. These include: Khentii, Dornod, Sukhbaatar and Dornogovi provinces in the Eastern region, and Umnugovi, Dundgovi, Gobi-Altai and Govisumber provinces in the Gobi region. Note: In 2026-2029, research will continue in the Khangai and Western regions.
- In collaboration with the National General Archives, the National Library, and Gandan Tegchinlen Monastery, historical documents, sources, and scriptures related to the sacred sites will be researched and put into scientific research circulation.
Training:
- Organize campaigns and trainings to protect the environment and increase public awareness through sacred sites worshipping practices. Scope: heritage practitioners, relevant government agencies and NGOs.
Support and assistance:
- Organize joint activities with NGOs to clean all Mongolian mountains and ovoos.
- Create a legal environment for exemption from mining licenses by registering sacred sites affected by mining, make necessary legal amendments and improve them;
Registration and documentation:
- Document audio and video recordings of ethnically specific rituals and practices in sacred.
Monitoring:
- - In 2022-2025, the monitoring of the heritage "Mongolian Traditional practices of worshipping the sacred sites" will be done by comparing it with the annual safeguarding and protection activities, especially the quality of apprenticeship and the number of heritage practitioners, the viability of the heritage shall be determined and reflected in future conservation and protection measures.

C.3.

Budget for future activities

Provide the estimates of the funds required for implementing the updated safeguarding plan (if possible, in US dollars), identifying any available resources (governmental sources, in-kind community inputs, etc.).

Budget

1. Conduct surveillance in risky areas in the Eastern and Gobi regions of Mongolia and determine further measures to be implemented in 2022-2024. Expected budget to be spent 15000$
2. Organize campaigns and trainings to protect the environment and increase public awareness through sacred sites worshipping practices. 2022-2024. Expected budget to be spent 10000$.
3. Organize joint activities with NGOs to clean all Mongolian mountains and Ovoos in 2022-2025. Expected budget to be spent 15000$.
4. Create a legal environment for exemption from mining licenses by registering sacred sites affected by mining, make necessary legal amendments, and improve them in 2022-2025. Expected budget to be spent 2000$.
5. Document audio and video recordings of ethnically specific rituals and practices in sacred in 2022-2025. Expected budget to be spent 5000$.
6. Promotion and support for the heritage practitioners in 2022-2025. Expected budget to be spent 10000$.
7. In collaboration with the National Archives, the National Library, and Gandan Tegchinlen Monastery, historical documents, sources, and scriptures related to the Sacred Land will be researched and used in academic research in 2023.
8. Monitoring in 2022-2025. Expected budget to be spent 5000$.
A total budget to be spent in next four years is 70 000$.

C.4.

Community participation

Please describe how communities, groups and individuals, as well as relevant non-governmental organizations have been involved, including in terms of gender roles, in updating the safeguarding plan, and how they will be involved in its implementation.

00147

Community participation

The revised action plan was developed by the Ministry of Culture, the National Center for Cultural Heritage, the Mongolian National Commission for UNESCO, the Department of Culture and Arts of the Government Implementation Agency, the World Heritage-Burkhan Khaldun Mountain and the surrounding sacred landscape administration office, senior and young heritage practitioners, and relevant government officials, including opinions of organizations, scholars, in accordance with the polici documents such as the "National Program for the Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage" implemented by the Government of Mongolia and "Law on Protection of Cultural Heritage", long-term development policy document of Mongolia VISION -2050, the Action Plan of the Government of Mongolia, the Guidelines for the Development of Mongolia for 2021-2025, the Guidelines for Improving the Legislation of Mongolia until 2024, and the Strategic Plan for 2021-2024 of the Ministry of Culture.
The Ministry of Culture will create a favorable legal environment, formulate policies, allocate and monitor the necessary budgets in the state budget, and provide guidance and methodologies for the implementation of national activities by the Government of Mongolia. The NCCH will work with trainers and heritage practitioners in 21 provinces and 9 districts to organize conservation and protection activities, as well as national inventory, festivals and academic conferences.
The activities included in the plan shall be organized in consultation and jointly with the organizations, other governmental and non-governmental organizations, researchers and the public whose functions are specified in the Law on Cultural Heritage Protection.
Heritage practitioners are responsible for disseminating, promoting, and inheriting nationally and internationally, and are actively involved in other conservation plans.

C.5.

Institutional context

Please report on the institutional context for the local management and safeguarding of the element inscribed on the Urgent Safeguarding List, including:

1. a. the competent body(ies) involved in its management and/or safeguarding;

2. b. the organization(s) of the community or group concerned with the element and its safeguarding.

2005-06-29

Institutional context

D

Tsolmon

D. Participation of communities in preparing this report

Describe the measures taken to ensure the widest possible participation of the communities, groups and, where applicable, individuals concerned as well as relevant non-governmental organizations during the process of preparing this report.

Participation of communities in preparing this report

By the order of the Minister of Culture of Mongolia No. A / 73 of 2021 "On the establishment of a working group", a working group was established to develop and prepare the "Periodic Report on Cultural Heritage in Need of the Urgent Safguarding". These include representatives from the Ministry of Culture, the Mongolian National Commission for UNESCO, the Government Implementing Agency for Culture and Arts, and the National Center for Cultural Heritage, World Heritage - Burkhan Khaldun Mountain and the surrounding sacred landscape administration office, the Mongolian National Commission for UNESCO and related reserachers.

During the preparation of this periodic report, the working group has done 4 times meetings for collecting data and information from practitioners and cultural organizations in 21 provinces and 9 districts of Ulaanbaatar and for analyzing the gathered data in accordance with the questionnaires of periodic reporting form, and for elaborating the updated safeguarding plan for this heritage element.
Heritage practitioners are responsible for disseminating, promoting the cultural heritage element nationally and internationally.

The NGO "Foundation for the Protection of Natural and Cultural Heritage", the "Mongolian Center for Sacred Sacred Research and Information", the "Ancestors and Descendants" association, and the working team for the UNESCO-funded project "Supporting sustainable environmental and cultural development in Mongolia through the revival and transmission of the Traditional practices of worshipping the sacred sites" personally participated in the preparation of this report.

E

Coordination Officer for Policy Implementation of Intangible Cultural Heritage
Department of Cultural Heritage
Ministry of Culture

E. Signature on behalf of the State Party

The report should be signed by an official empowered to do so on behalf of the State, and should include his or her name, title and the date of submission.

Name

NOMIN Chinbat

Title

Minister of Culture, Mongolia

Date

10-12-2021

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NOMIN Chinbat

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UNESCO - Mongolian traditional practices of worshipping the sacred sites

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Mongolian practices of worshipping sacred sites have developed in the cultural space that is home to the nomadic lifestyle, which is characterized by its close harmony with nature and the environment. According to ancient shamanism, these practices are based on the belief in the existence of invisible deities of the sky, earth, mountains and natural surroundings.

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Sky burial is a death rituals in Mongolia. In sky burial, dead body will be placed inside a coffin, then it will be brought to the side of the cliff and be exposed to the nature and wild animals. The reason for why they do it is because they believe the wild animal such as eagle and vulture will eat your dead body and take away the things that no longer is serving you, at the same time it has no harm to you or to the environment. Although this traditions might face many problem, including people might thinks it's harmful to the bird, however it is important to keep this traditions as it shows how they believe to death, as well as how the nature played an important role.

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ABOUT SKY BURIAL

Tibetan sky burial is a mysterious funeral practice that fascinates and sometimes intimidates people from a different cultural background. Although it might seem brutal at first, this tradition demonstrates deep love and compassion towards all living beings and genuine concern about the earth.

Tibetans believe that after death your body is merely an empty vessel. Sky Burial, therefore, is the last act of merit - feeding the body to the birds, eliminating what is no longer serving you. At the same time, the practice poses no harm to the environment.

In this article, you will find detailed information about the sky burial, and other funeral practices in Tibet.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

Bon Religion

During the early history of Tibet when the main religion was Bon, the earth burial, or simply tombs were the most common funeral practice for noble Tibetans. In the Yarlung Tsangpo Valley, there are still tombs of the first Tibetan Kings. The Valley of the Kings is located outside of Tsedang. The most prominent tomb belongs to the King Songtsen Gampo. At the present moment, the tombs look like large hills from the outside.

According to Tibetan records, king Songtsen Gampo's tomb should be deep under the ground with several inner chambers holding various reliquaries, and artifacts made of silver, gold and using various precious stones.

Buddhism

With the adoption of Buddhism in Tibet, other types of burials became more popular in Tibet.
The most commonly used traditions are:

TIBETAN SKY BURIAL

Sky burial is practiced not only in Tibet, but also in Bhutan, Mongolia, and some parts of India.

Tibetans call sky burial Ten-Chak or Kyil-Khor. Sky burial, sometimes also called celestial burial, is the main funeral practice for most Tibetans who died from natural causes. Tibetans use other funeral rituals when people die from infectious disease or poison that can be dangerous for birds, or for those who committed suicide.

Its wide-spread use in Tibet is based on 2 main factors: practical and religious.

The ground in most areas of Tibet is deeply frozen and rocky. That makes digging graves difficult. In addition, most of the Tibetan Plateau is above the tree-growing zone. Thus cremation was also not available for most people until recent years. Sky Burial, on the other hand, is not only an environmentally feasible solution for Tibetans, but it also relates to their beliefs and religion.

The tradition follows the example that historical Buddha set himself. In one of Buddha's lives, his incarnation Prince Sattva encountered a hungry tigress with small cubs. Being unable to find food she was ready to eat her own cubs. He felt strong compassion for her and offered his own body. Tibetans follow the example and offer their dead bodies to vultures.

There are not enough carcasses of wild animals that vultures can eat to support their population. Vultures also never attack living animals. Therefore, feeding the body to vultures provides an important source of food for them without any harm to living beings.

For Tibetans, sky burial demonstrates the impermanence of the physical body. It is also a chance to make one more gesture of generosity by providing food to birds.

HOW IS SKY BURIAL PERFORMED

The exact practice of Tibetan sky burial might differ slightly depending on the region, and how busy the sky burial site is. This is an overview of a typical tradition.

After Tibetan dies, the family keeps the body at home for the next 3 to 5 days. During that time, monks visit the house to recite prayers and also read Bardo Thodol - the Tibetan Book of The Dead in English translation. The book explains what the spirit faces during the rebirth process. After that, the body is ready for a sky burial. The site of the sky burial is usually high in the mountains, where vultures gather. The site itself is often just a flat stone slab. The area around it is marked with hundreds of prayer flags.

The dead body's spine is broken and then the body is carried to the mountain top. The Tumden, body breaker, burns juniper incense to attract vultures. He cuts the body and lets vultures take care of the rest. After approximately only 10-15 minutes, the birds leave only a carcass of the body. Then the master smashes bones with a hammer and mixes it with tsampa - roasted barley flour and mixes it with Tibetan butter tea. Vultures, as well as crows and hawks, finish every piece of the body.

It is a bad sign if vultures don't finish eating a body. Tibetans believe that it is a result of a person's bad deeds.

Family members don't attend the ceremony. They stay home and pray. During the next 49 days, the family will request prayers from lamas. According to Bardo, after 7 weeks the spirit will be reborn.

SKY BURIAL SITES IN TIBET

There are many sky burials in Tibet. While traveling on the plateau, your guide will point to some of them. However, they are hard to see as all of them are high in the mountains. Also, foreigners are not allowed to visit the sky burials and watch the ceremony.

Some of the most famous sky burials are near Drigun Til monastery, Pabongka, Sera Monastery, and Larung Gar in Eastern Tibet. If you are traveling to Mount Kailash, you will see one of the sky burial sites from a distance on your first day of walking around the mountain. There is an old (no longer active) sky burial site opposing Drak Yerpa Hermitage that you can visit. It is also a great place to view the panorama of the entire temple complex.

WATCHING AND RECORDING SKY BURIALS

Previously, tourists visited some Tibetan sky burial sites and even recorded the ceremony. Unfortunately, some of the people who watched these videos didn't understand the cultural significance of the ceremony and made disrespectful comments. The government decided to close all sky burial sites for visitors. Starting from 2005 any organization or individual are not allowed to:

watch, photograph and take videos of the scene of the burial activity;

publish photos, videos, or any recordings, reprint texts, pictures, and reports related to the funeral activities through newspapers, magazines, books, radio, film, television, and other media;

use a sky burial platform as a tourist attraction for visitors.

For Tibetans, it is in an intimate process. Please, respect the law and don't try to visit sky burials.

OTHER FUNERAL TRADITIONS IN TIBET

FUNERAL STUPA

There are 2 different types of stupas that you can see in Tibet. The most commonly seen stupas are religious objects. They can be small, for example, stupas in the Phabongka Hermitage site. The largest stupa in Tibet is Kumbum - 35-meter high chorten with nine levels. Another type of stupa is a funeral stupa.

The stupas of the highest lamas - the Dalai Lama and Panchen Lama preserve the full body. Other important lamas are cremated first and then their ashes are placed inside a stupa.

You can see previous Dalai Lamas funeral stupas in the Potala Palace in Lhasa. Panchen Lamas funeral stupas are in the Tashi Lhunpo monastery in Shigatse.

FIRE BURIAL (CREMATION)

For most other Tibetans cremation is a less common practice. Cremation is used for people who died from infectious disease, were poisoned or committed suicide. Tibetans can also use it if nearby sky burials are full.

However, there is an important exception to it. The high lamas in Tibet are cremated. After that, their remains are placed in tomb stupas.

Tibetans believe that spirit can get more trouble during cremation, and only for high lamas it will be easy to reach a higher level after rebirth.

WATER BURIAL

People who live far from sky burial sites can use this practice as the main one. Otherwise, it is a less common ceremony and mostly used when sky burial sites are full or for travelers or beggers. There are special platforms beside rivers. The dead body is offered to fish in the river. Similar to the sky burial, only people who died from natural causes can be offered to fish.

EARTH BURIAL

Tibetans believe that it is the least desirable funeral practice from the Buddhist standpoint. After the body is buried underground, it attracts worms that will consume it. However, when they finish eating the body, they will have no food left and start eating each other. These insects born from your body will experience sadness, sorrow, and death, contributing to the spirit's bad karma.

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Tibetan Sky Burial and Other Funarel Practices - Wonders of Tibet

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Tibetan sky burial is a mysterious funeral practice that fascinates and sometimes intimidates people from a different cultural background.

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Morin Khuur is a national instrument that the Mongolian people play which is similar to violin and cello. What is special about the instrument is that the neck has a horse-head, and the bow is made by horse hair, below the instrument are two tuning pegs and resembling ears. The sound of the instrument is like sound of a horse neighing, as some people said it can be used to tame horses. Keeping the culture is important because it's one of the oldest instrument that has been invented (their national instrument) as well as it's special and different from it looks.

Interview: https://youtu.be/T1BKXkSXroE?si=6DLqV60UsW0vLyVN&t=738 This talks about how a Morin Khuur is created as well as it's creation process. In the video it shows how it is created and why we should protect it.

(photo) https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/503800

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A Mongolian horse-head lute of carved wood with a carved horse head, plaque and inscription. The bow of wood with horse hair, all in a grey bag. CD of soundtrack of 'Eternal Power of the Sky'. With carrying case. The morin khuur is a traditional Mongolian stringed instrument made up of a rectangular sound box and long neck surmounted by a carved horse's head, below which are two tuning pegs, resembling ears. The two strings are traditionally made of horse hair as are the strings of the bow. Morin khuur roughly translates as 'horse fiddle' due to the legends surrounding the origin of the instrument, based on beloved horses after their death being used to create the instrument which is also said to have a sound like a horse neighing; some of these stories date back to the 13th century and are part of the Mongolian cult of the horse. The instrument is sometimes played to accompany folk dances and the telling of stories; it has also been used to tame horses. The morin khuur is a traditional Mongolian instrument, taught at three schools in Mongolia and considered the national instrument. It is played with the body held between the legs and the neck resting on the shoulder.

Provenance

Presented to Queen Elizabeth II by the Speaker of the State Great Khural (Parliament) of Mongolia, Nambaryn Enkhbayer, after a tea at Buckingham Palace, 16 November 2004.

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Mongolia - Morin Khuur (horse head fiddle)

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A Mongolian horse-head lute of carved wood with a carved horse head, plaque and inscription. The bow of wood with horse hair, all in a grey bag. CD of soundtrack of Eternal Power of the Sky.

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Yochin is made of wood and string with 18 rows, each having 3 to 4 strings. The way the perform is diverse because they can present solo or mixed with other people, and this gives a lot of way of using the instrument. In bigger yochin, there will be 16 to 20 tevhs as medium will have about 12 to 16. What is special and unique about Yochin is that it doesn't sound low as there is 2 bamboo stick that made it more loud melody. It is important to keep this instrument as it's unique and have a good history about it.

Audio file of Yochin: https://youtu.be/rjIzPwYbgkI?si=Dk8_F-TkFXcVYs4Q This shows how unique the sound of it is as well as the perform way.

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The traditional instruments were first come in the early 13th century and Mongolians developed some string and pipe instruments of the Central Asia. The instruments are divided as a traditional and a professional. The traditional instruments are for the use of the special ethnicity. In general, there are three types of Mongolian traditional instrumentals - string, pipe and beating.

Yochin: Since 1991, Mongolians have used around 7 types of yochin having 8, 10 and 12 columns of tunes. Yochin is made of wood and sting has 18 rows, each has 3-4 strings. Generally, the shape of it is trapeze and a top part is smaller than bottom. In modern music harmony, yochin is in use of solo or mixed position. Great yochin has 16-20 tevhs while medium yochin has 12-16. More closed the tevh postion is, more improved technic of the Mongolian traditional popular song, furthermore, giving the opportunity to play world classic music. Yochin has two bamboo sticks, a heavy reverberation because of not having sound lower, and special loud melody.

Flute: Ancient pipe instrument with special compound melody helps Mongolian traditional music be more comforting. Even though flute was usually made of bamboo, iron and plastics are common in a progress of it. The nuance of flute is different regarding of its distance between holes on it. The length of flute defines its name, such as great, medium and small. It will be tuned by its small extra attached on the head. The skill to breathe longer is required when the flute is played.

Huuchir: Since the ancient Mongolia, a huuchir has been played as a string instrument. The ancient huuchir had only one string, but there are now four strings tuned by a couple in it. Mongolian huuchir had miniature, ears, and head. The huuchir we are currently using is 80 centimeter long and made of red or black tree. The main uses of it are in Mongolian traditional songs, magtaal, and Mongolian traditional choral group as well. The box of the huuchir is usually made by the skin of the colt or the snake.

Yatga(zither): One of the string instruments in Mongolia and very similar to the harp in Europe. Yatga is classified in string, tovshvor, or thumping instruments. What special about the yatga is that there is no definition of yatga style, anyone can use their own method to make it, having miniatures, vivid colors expressing Mongolian traditional signs, having 5 levels of string from low to major octaves. Nowadays, the body of yatga is straight and made of wood dried for a year. Yatga has 13 tevhs middle of the string and the 13 strings are attached from the top of the main body called face to the bottom of it called huir. Tevs is for tuning. The current way to play the yatga is that the right hand is in use of pulling strings while the left hand presses on the strings. The reason why the left hand pressing the strings is strings are bit longer than its body.

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The traditional instruments were first come in the early 13th century and Mongolians developed some string and pipe instruments of the Central Asia. The instruments are divided as a traditional and a professional.

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Urtyn Duu is a Mongolian instrument that people play in ritual performances in important celebrations, such as wedding. Mongolian likes to use Grace and falsetto while performing Urtyn Duu as it gives rich rhythm changes. When people are playing the instrument they can feel like living on the grass, which have a feeling of freshness and that is because the tempo of the instrument is slow which is close to their living style. We should protect this culture because from the instrument we not just can enjoy the music, but also their living style.

Audio file: https://youtu.be/CtVgE_iP694?si=KZEQXkkugGdfHuRG

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China and Mongolia

Inscribed in 2008 ( 3.COM) on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (originally proclaimed in 2005)

The Urtiin duu or "long song" is one of the two major forms of Mongolian songs, the other being the short song" (bogino duu). As a ritual form of expression associated with important celebrations and festivities, Urtiin duu plays a distinct and honoured role in Mongolian society. It is performed at weddings, the inauguration of a new home, the birth of a child, the branding of foals and other social events celebrated by Mongolia's nomadic communities.The Urtiin duu can also be heard at the naadam, a festivity featuring wrestling, archery and horseracing competitions.

The Urtiin duu is a lyrical chant, which is characterized by an abundance of ornamentation, falsetto, an extremely wide vocal range and a free compositional form. The rising melody is slow and steady while the falling melody is often intercepted with a lively rhythm. Performances and compositions of Urtiin duu are closely linked to the pastoral way of life of the Mongolian nomads on their ancestral grasslands.

Widely believed to have originated 2,000 years ago, the Urtiin duu has been recorded in literary works since the thirteenth century. A rich variety of regional styles has been preserved until today, and performances as well as contemporary compositions still play a major role in the social and cultural life of nomads living in Mongolia and in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Republic, located in the northern part of the People's Republic of China.

Since the 1950s, urbanization and industrialization have increasingly superseded traditional nomadic lifestyles, leading to the loss of many traditional practices and expressions. Parts of the grasslands where tradition-bearers used to live as nomads have fallen victim to desertification, causing many families to shift to a sedentary way of life where many classical themes of Urtiin duu, such as the praise of typical nomads' virtues and experiences, lose their relevance.

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UNESCO - Urtiin Duu, traditional folk long song

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The Committee meets annually to evaluate nominations proposed by States Parties to the 2003 Convention and decide whether or not to inscribe those cultural practices and expressions of intangible heritage on the Convention's Lists. By clicking on the inscribed elements listed below, you can discover the nominations, photos and videos, together with Committee decisions and evidence of commun...

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Mongolian's traditional Khöömei has been added to the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by the UNESCO. During the performance, the people will act like the vice of nature, mostly bird. From this example, we can see again how they are close with the nature or animal. As the kind of way to sing it is hard, not alot of people know how to sing. There are also teacher who teaches this kind of singing way. I think prevent this to disappear is important as it can shows how the Mongolian sing in the most traditional way and show their values towards nature.

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Mongolia

Inscribed in 2010 ( 5.COM) on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

© 2009 by Mongolian National Commission for UNESCO

Khöömei is a form of singing originating in western Mongolia, in the Altai mountains. The performer imitates sounds of nature, simultaneously emitting two distinct vocal sounds: along with a continuous drone, the singer produces a melody of harmonics. Khöömei literally means pharynx, and it is believed to have been learned from birds, whose spirits are central to shamanic practices. The multitude of Khöömei techniques in Mongolia are grouped within two main styles: the kharkhiraa (deep Khöömei) and isgeree Khöömei (whistled Khöömei). In kharkhiraa the singer sings a drone in a normal voice, while emphasizing the undertone or subharmonic one octave below. In isgeree Khöömei, it is the overtones above the fundamental note of the drone that are emphasized, creating a higher-pitched whistle. In both cases, the drone is produced with very taut vocal cords, and the melody is created by modulating the size and shape of the mouth cavity, opening and closing the lips and moving the tongue. Khöömei is performed by Mongolian nomads in a variety of social occasions, from grand state ceremonies to festive household events. Khöömei is also sung during herding, and inside the yurt to lull babies to sleep. Traditionally, Khöömei is transmitted orally from bearer to learner, or via master-to-apprentice.

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UNESCO - Mongolian traditional art of Khöömei

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Khöömei is a form of singing originating in western Mongolia, in the Altai mountains. The performer imitates sounds of nature, simultaneously emitting two distinct vocal sounds: along with a continuous drone, the singer produces a melody of harmonics. Khöömei literally means pharynx, and it is believed to have been learned from birds, whose spirits are central to shamanic practices.

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Mongolia epic poetry are also called "tuuli" in their language. In Mongolia, this is a very important and special genere of their oral speaking literature. Most of the works are about the ideal world and heroes and the theme of acquiring new lands. From this, we can see that the Mongolians have a deep understanding of their own race. of attention and a patriotic culture. It is currently included in the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding by UNESCO. While reciting, Mongolians will also use musical instruments as accompaniment, making the whole performance even better. What is even more noteworthy is that there are a total of 300 epics with themes, which are divided into fifteen groups, most of which are related to battles, religion, and conflicts between people. Such literary works are very important because people can understand Mongolian history and contemporary culture in the future.

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CULTURE AND ARTS IN MONGOLIA

Art forms with uniquely Mongolian elements include music, dance, clothing, crafts and literature. Mongolian literature, music and other art forms have traditionally celebrated Mongolia's animals and land. Art and architecture have been influenced by Chinese and Tibetan culture. Mongolians use a Chinese-Tibetan-style calendar and Chinese abacus. The government has traditionally supported opera, ballet, folk dancing, folk music and circuses. But there is not is much money for these things any more. Many of these art forms were introduced by the Soviets.

Mongolian culture is noted for its epic poetry and music. Russian folk songs and dances, performed in Mongolian, used to be popular. Traditional Mongolian society was affected heavily by foreign influences: commerce was controlled by Chinese merchants and the state religion - Tibetan Buddhism or Lamaism - was simultaneously bureaucratic and otherworldly. Modern society has been shaped by the continued foreign - primarily Soviet - influence. [Source: Robert L. Worden, Library of Congress, June 1989 ]

William Jankowiak, Ian Skoggard, and John Beierle wrote: Mongolian artisans were honored and respected. They worked in gold, silver, iron, wood, leather, and textiles. They prefer to use lavish ornamentation and motifs with symbolic meanings associated with nature. Festival clothing is bright and colorful. Mongolians adopted many Tibetan Buddhist elements in their fine arts. Unlike Zen-inspired monochromatic painting of Japan and China, Mongolian art is solidly painted and bold in its designs. The applied arts have increased in importance because of export demands and tourist preference. [Source: William Jankowiak, Ian Skoggard, and John Beierle, e Human Relations Area Files (eHRAF) World Cultures, Yale University]

The communist government did not value Mongolian traditional art works. Much of that art was lost with the purging of Buddhism. In old Mongolia, music styles, dance performances, texts, and iconography were used to express ethnic identity. Given Mongolia's regional diversity, there was variation in songs as well as in instrument style. Herders, like other Central Asian pastorals, played predominately string or wind instruments. Songs are closely linked to old homelands, migrations, nature spirits, or former administrators, such as princes and lamas. Certain types of performance were thought to have control over the weather. Under communism these themes were forbidden. New songs and poems about nature, the homeland, love of parents, children, the state, and the Party became the preferred themes. In terms of music structure, Mongolian traditional songs fall along a continuum that range from extended long songs that are ornamental and without a regular beat. At the other end are strophic, syllabic, rhythmic short-songs performed without ornamentation.

See Separate Articles: TRADITIONAL MONGOLIAN MUSIC factsanddetails.com ; KHOOMEI (THROAT SINGING): SINGING TWO TONES SIMULTANEOUSLY factsanddetails.com ; MONGOLIAN HIP HOP, ROCK POP MUSIC AND DANCE factsanddetails.com MONGOL ART, CULTURE AND LITERATURE factsanddetails.com

Mongol Influence on the World

Mongolia and the Mongol people have periodically been at the center of international events. The histories of nations - indeed, of continents - have been rewritten and major cultural and political changes have occurred because of a virtual handful of seemingly remote pastoral nomads. The thirteenth-century accomplishments of Chinggis Khan in conquering a swath of the world from modern-day Korea to southern Russia and in invading deep into Europe, and the cultural achievements of his grandson, Khubilai Khan, in China are well-known in world history. Seven hundred years later, a much compressed Mongolian nation first attracted world attention as a strategic battleground between Japan and the Soviet Union and later between the Soviet Union and China. In the 1980s, the Mongolian People's Republic continued to be a critical geopolitical factor in Sino-Soviet relations. [Source: Robert L. Worden, Library of Congress, June 1989 *]

But Mongol influence did not end with the termination of military conquests or absorption. Their presence was institutionalized in many of the lands they conquered through adoption of Mongol military tactics, administrative forms, and commercial enterprises. The historical developments of such disparate nations as Russia, China, and Iran were directly affected by the Mongols. Wherever they settled outside their homeland, the Mongols brought about cultural change and institutional improvements. *

Although there never was a "Pax Mongolica," the spread of the Mongol polity across Eurasia resulted in a large measure of cultural exchange. Chinese scribes and artists served the court of the Ilkhans in Iran, Italian merchants served the great khans in Karakorum and Daidu (as Beijing was then known), papal envoys recorded events in the courts of the great khans, Mongol princes were dispatched to all points of the great Mongol empire to observe and be observed, and the Golden Horde and their Tatar descendants left a lasting mark on Moscovy through administrative developments and intermarriage. Although eventually subsumed as part of the Chinese empire, the Mongols were quick to seek independence when that empire disintegrated in 1911. *

Cultural Unity and Mongol Identity in the Soviet Era

The result of Mongolia's economic development and urbanization was a population that was, on the one hand, increasingly and unprecedentedly divided by occupation, education, residence, and membership in well-defined and fairly rigid status groups, but that was, on the other hand, less clearly distinguished from that of other economically developed and urbanized countries. If being Mongolian meant living in a ger in the midst of a sheep herd and being good at riding horses, then the Mongolian identity of those who lived in highrise apartments, rode buses, and worked at desks or in factories where knowledge of the Russian language was required was problematic. [Source: Robert L. Worden, Library of Congress, June 1989 *]

Mongolian nationalism, clearly a politically sensitive topic, continued to be a strong although implicit force in Mongolia in the Soviet era. The Mongol language, the cultural trait most obviously shared by all Mongolians, continued to be fostered. Much effort was devoted to translating foreign literature and textbooks into Mongol, and teams of Mongolian scholars carefully replaced Russian loan words with new terms developed from ancient Mongol roots. The goal appeared to be to ensure that Mongol did not become a dialect restricted to shepherds or preschool children and that the educated elite did not speak mostly Russian or Russian-influenced Mongol.

Apart from the significant omission of Buddhism and Buddhism, much of traditional Mongol culture was studied, preserved, and transmitted to the younger generation as a source of national pride. In early 1989, party general secretary Jambyn Batmonh told a Soviet interviewer that the harmful errors of the 1930s included destruction of the monasteries and with them the priceless cultural heritage of the Mongolian people. In 1989 the party called for overcoming indifference to the national cultural heritage, and efforts were under way to change the negative evaluation of Chinggis, who had been condemned as a bloodthirsty and aggressive conqueror of, among other places, Russia. Higher secondary schools began teaching the traditional Mongol script, replaced by Cyrillic in February 1946. In early 1989, the trade union newspaper Hodolmor (Labor) called for mass production of the traditional Mongol gown, the deel, and suggested that all Mongolian diplomats wear it.

Mongolian Literature and Folklore

The majority of Mongol literature is Buddhist, and the whole Buddhist Canon was translated from Tibetan to Mongol. There exists also a very fine collection of original historical literature that includes the Secret History of the Mongols written in the middle of the 13th century and various other chronicles, such as that of Saghang Sechen written in the second half of the 17th century, the heroic epic "Life of Jiangger," written in the fifteenth century, and "Historical Romance," written in the nineteenth century.

Mongolia has a tradition of epic poetry that was first written down in the Genghis Khan era and is closely associated with its music ( See Music). The canon of Mongolian written literature includes histories, biographies and Buddhist texts on a number of subjects. Some Buddhist sutras are elaborately decorated with gold and jewels. The State Central Library in Ulaanbaatar holds the world's largest collection of Buddhist sutras.

Mongolia's best known poet and writer is Dashdorjiin Natsagdorj (1906-37). He is regarded as the father of modern Mongolia literature. His best known works include the nationalist poem "My Native Land" and the play "Three Fateful Hills". He served as a secretary in the Stalinist government and died under mysterious circumstances in 1936. The location of his body and grave is not known.

C. Le Blanc wrote in the "Worldmark Encyclopedia of Cultures and Daily Life, "A large number of Mongolian myths are related to the origins of the Mongol people. One of their more important myths describes a tribe called Mongu fighting with other tribes for many years. Finally, the Mongu were defeated. All their people were killed except two men and two women who, by sheer luck, escaped death. They went through many hardships and ultimately took refuge in a remote, thickly forested mountain. Only a narrow winding trail led to the outside world. This was a place with plenty of water and lush grass. They married. Many years later, the population grew so large that the land could not produce enough grain to feed all the people. They had to move but, unfortunately, the narrow trail was blocked. However, an iron mine was discovered. They cut down the trees, killed bulls and horses, and made a number of bellows to use in making iron into tools. Then they began to work the mine. They not only opened an outlet to the outside world, but they also got plenty of iron. They are the ancestors of the Mongols. To commemorate their heroic undertakings, the Mongols used to smelt iron at the end of every year. [Source: C. Le Blanc, "Worldmark Encyclopedia of Cultures and Daily Life," Cengage Learning, 2009 ++]

The Gesar epic tradition was inscribed in 2009 on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. According to UNESCO: The ethnic Tibetan, Mongolian and Tu communities in western and northern China share the story of the ancient hero King Gesar, sent to heaven to vanquish monsters, depose the powerful, and aid the weak while unifying disparate tribes. The singers and storytellers who preserve the Gesar epic tradition perform episodes of the vast oral narrative (known as 'beads on a string') in alternating passages of prose and verse with numerous regional differences. [Source: UNESCO]

See KING GESAR: TIBET'S GREAT HEROIC EPIC factsanddetails.com ; MONGOL ART, CULTURE AND LITERATURE factsanddetails.com

Mongol Tuuli, the Mongolian Epic

In 2009, Mongol Tuuli, Mongolian epic was placed on the UNESCO Intangible Heritage list. According to UNESCO: "The Mongolian Tuuli is an oral tradition comprising heroic epics that run from hundreds to thousands of lines and combine benedictions, eulogies, spells, idiomatic phrases, fairy tales, myths and folk songs. They are regarded as a living encyclopaedia of Mongolian oral traditions and immortalize the heroic history of the Mongolian people. Epic singers are distinguished by their prodigious memory and performance skills, combining singing, vocal improvisation and musical composition coupled with theatrical elements. Epic lyrics are performed to musical accompaniment on instruments such as the morin khuur (horse-head fiddle) and tovshuur (lute). [Source: UNESCO ~]

"Epics are performed during many social and public events, including state affairs, weddings, a child's first haircut, the naadam (a wrestling, archery and horseracing festival) and the worship of sacred sites. Epics evolved over many centuries, and reflect nomadic lifestyles, social behaviours, religion, mentalities and imagination. Performing artists cultivate epic traditions from generation to generation, learning, performing and transmitting techniques within kinship circles, from fathers to sons. Through the epics, Mongolians transmit their historical knowledge and values to younger generations, strengthening awareness of national identity, pride and unity. Today, the number of epic trainers and learners is decreasing. With the gradual disappearance of the Mongol epic, the system of transmitting historic and cultural knowledge is degrading. ~

According to UNESCO Mongol Tuuli, Mongolian epic was placed on the UNESCO Intangible Heritage list because: 1) A living oral expression that is crucial for the cultural identity of the Mongolian people and for the historical continuity of their nomadic lifestyle, the Mongol Tuuli epic plays an important role in the traditional education of younger people living in the communities where it is performed; 2) Although Mongolian singers continue to attach great importance to performing the epic within traditional contexts and in sacred settings, and endeavour to transmit performing techniques to the younger generation in the manner learned from their ancestors, the epic is today at severe risk because of its shrinking social sphere, changing socioeconomic conditions and the weakening of nomadic practices, the difficulties for younger people to master the complex poetic language, and the increasing popularity of mass entertainment media, [Source: UNESCO]

Galsansuh

Bill Donahue wrote in the Washington Post, "Galsansuh, 40, is a self-proclaimed "postmodern Mongolian poet"; the editor of Serious News, a UB broadsheet that rails with anarchist brio against corrupt politicians; and a mogul on UB's alt-rock scene. It is he who, 15 years ago, gathered the musicians for Nisvanis, a Mongol take on Nirvana. Lean and crew-cut, he speaks in harsh, vitriolic bursts. [Source: Bill Donahue, Washington Post, September 20, 2013 |::|]

"Class warfare," says Galsansuh, except that I can hardly hear him as Kreator, a German thrash metal band, is screaming on the stereo of his Land Cruiser as we cut through the streets of UB..."Class warfare," he says again, en route to a Korean restaurant, and I'm a bit bewildered. The underclass in Mongolia is disparate: 400,000 or so herders speckling the steppes and the desert. No one else I'll meet will speak of uniting them. But there is something absolute about Galsansuh. Driving through UB, he guns it wherever he can. He slams the brakes in advance of a pothole, then swirls right into a dirt alley to skirt a traffic jam and flies along through a parking lot. |::|

"Though he carries himself like a cartoon villain, Galsansuh is powerful, and connected. His good friend Kh.Battulga is a wealthy parliament member, a one-time national judo champion and the lead financier for the gargantuan Genghis statue 35 miles outside town. "Mongolian national hero," Galsansuh says of Battulga as we settle into the restaurant. "He has no Chinese blood - he is pure Mongolian. And that statue of Chinggis Khan [Ghengis Khan], it's a tool we need to keep us from becoming part of China." |::|

"In the meantime, Galsansuh is fighting. He opens his newspaper up on the table now, and all five guys on the front page look fat and pasty, like boiled fish. They radiate bad karma. I recognize one of the shysters as Mongolia's most recent ex-president, the imprisoned N. Enkhbayar. While he was in office, Enkhbayar secretly financed the construction of the 25-story Blue Sky Tower, a soulless glass building - blue-tinted and shaped like a sail - that sits in downtown UB, looming above the red-tiled roof of an ancient pagoda. |::|

"The Blue Sky Tower is on my Mongolian cellphone - the default screen saver is the glassy and glimmering flank of the tower. I show it to Galsansuh and ask, "Have Mongolians become too enchanted with glitz and material wealth to care?" He is smoking now and clenching the cigarette in his lips, no fingers. "I don't have time for such silly questions," he says. He snatches the bill and pays. Then we leave.

Mongolia Art

Most Mongolia art has been inspired by Tibetan Buddhism or shamanism and resembles Tibetan art. Artworks include golden Buddhist icons, Tibetan-style frescos, pictorial applique and shamanist masks and implements. Much of Mongolia's old art has been lost. The Buddhist destroyed shamanist art as they attempted to make their belief the dominant one. Stalinist purges in the 1930s made ruins of practically all of Mongolia's 700 monasteries and all the art in them.

Mongolian thankas (Tibetan-style cloth paintings) are made with chalk, glue, "arkhi" (milk vodka) and minerals mixed with yak skin glue. For the most part they look like Tibetan thankhas except some have some camels in the background. There are some from the Soviet era that feature factory workers and miners.

Art produced the Soviet period was influenced a great deal by socialist realism and Russian impressionism. Many artists studied art in the Soviet Union.

See Separate Articles on Tibetan Art factsanddetails.com and factsanddetails.com and factsanddetails.com .

Zanabazar and Other Mongolian Artists

Zanabazar (1635-1723) is Mongolia's famous leader from the post-Mongol-empire period. Regarded as the first The Jebtzun Damba, the Living Buddha of Mongolia, he was declared leader of the Buddhists in Mongolia in 1641. He was not only a great political and religious leader he was is also regarded as Mongolia's most famous artist and sculptor. Trained in Tibet, he created lovely Buddhist paintings and thankas, invented Mongolia's vertical script, designed great temples, and produced beautiful bronze statues. Some of his loveliest pieces are of goddess Tara. They are said to have been modeled after his teenage lover.

When Zanabazar was three it was deemed he possessed the qualities of a reincarnated saint. At the age of 13 he was sent to Tibet to study under the Dalai Lama. While in Tibet he not only received spiritual guidance he learned the art of bronze casting which launched his career as an artist. He is credited with inventing the Soyombi, Mongolia's national symbol. He died in 1723 in Beijing. His body was taken to what would be Ulaanbaatar and later was entombed in stupa at Amarbayasgalant Monastery. Zanabazar is an object of art as well as an artist. Images of Zanabazar are seen throughout Mongolia. They are easily recognizable: a monk with a shiny bald head and a thunderbolt in one hand.

Another well known lamas was Danzan Ravjaa, also known as the Great and Horrible Saint of the Gobi. Believed to be the 35th incarnation of Yamsang Yidam, a Mongolian deity, he was a skilled artist and was known for producing plays at monasteries and healing the sick from great distances. He lived in the 19th century. Among the other famous artists are the artist-monk Damdinsuren (1868-1938) and the painter Balduugiyn Shara (1869-1939). The later is known for his paintings of every day Mongolian life.

Mongolian Calligraphy

In 2013, Mongolian calligraphy was placed on the UNESCO Intangible Heritage list. According to UNESCO: Mongolian calligraphy is the technique of handwriting in the Classical Mongolian script, which comprises ninety letters connected vertically by continuous strokes to create words. The letters are formed from six main strokes, known as head, tooth, stem, stomach, bow and tail, respectively. This meticulous writing is used for official letters, invitations, diplomatic correspondence and love letters; for a form of shorthand known as synchronic writing; and for emblems, logos, coins and stamps in 'folded' forms. [Source: UNESCO ~]

Traditionally, mentors select the best students and train them to be calligraphers over a period of five to eight years. Students and teachers bond for life and continue to stimulate each other's artistic endeavours. The rate of social transformation, urbanization and globalization have led to a significant drop in the number of young calligraphers. At present, only three middle-aged scholars voluntarily train the small community of just over twenty young calligraphers. Moreover, increases in the cost of living mean that mentors can no longer afford to teach the younger generation without remuneration. Special measures are therefore needed to attract young people to the traditional art of writing and to safeguard and revitalize the tradition of Mongolian script and calligraphy. ~

Mongolian calligraphy has experienced a rebirth since the democratization of Mongolia in the 1990s, after decades of suppression. However, according to UNESCO Mongolian calligraphy was placed on the UNESCO Intangible Heritage list because: 1) Mongolian calligraphy provides a sense of identity and historical continuity to Mongolian people at large; revived with the establishment of democracy in the 1990s, the practice has pertinent social and economic functions for its bearers in the contemporary context; 2) The viability of Mongolian calligraphy is at risk because of the limited number of tradition bearers who transmit their knowledge, the absence of appropriate safeguarding policies and the lack of interest by the young generation.

Living Dioramas in the Mongolian Desert

Paris-based Korean photographer Daesung Lee produced a series of "Living Dioramas in the Mongolian Desert": Rachel Nuwer wrote in The New Yorker, "As part of an ongoing series exploring the cultural effects of climate change...Lee recently set out to capture Mongolia's transformation. But rather than documenting picturesque pastoralists at home in the Gobi Desert, or the squalor of Ulaanbaatar's ger district, Lee created and photographed living dioramas that vividly juxtapose the old Mongolian landscape and the new. [Source: Rachel Nuwer, The New Yorker, May 5, 2015 /]

"The photos in the series, entitled "Futuristic Archaeology," show billboard-sized backdrops of past or future landscapes erected in the countryside: images of grasslands stand in the desert, cordoned off behind velvet ropes; pictures of sandy slopes are set against a still-lush steppe. Former nomads, recruited with the help of a local environmental N.G.O., enact scenes-of hunting, herding, and, in one case, Mongolian wrestling-in the contrasting artificial and actual scenery. Dressed in traditional deel robes, the nomads seem frozen in time, like displays in a natural-history museum. In one image, an older couple gazes from the confines of their roped-off square at a man, woman, and two small children clad in jeans and T-shirts. The elders seem like otherworldly visitors from the past. The modern family, and the arid sands around them, appear as embodiments of Mongolia's present and future. /

Nick Kirkpatrick wrote in the Washington Post, "Lee didn't want to document as much as he wanted to preserve. To create the museum's dioramas scientists and artists would spend sometimes months traveling to take pictures and collect specimens before painstakingly creating a picture of a faraway place piece-by-piece, preserving a moment frozen in time. Lee's dioramas show what would happen if traditional Mongolian culture fades away and is only seen inside a museum. "The nomadic life in Mongolia better alive ... I thought that we better preserve the society and the culture," Lee told In Sight. That culture can then have "function and meaning" instead of being "preserved like a fossil in museum," he said. [Source: Nick Kirkpatrick, Washington Post, February 18, 2015]

Crafts of Mongolia

Historically, Mongol craftsmen and artisans were greatly respected. After raiding a city the Mongols often rounded up the craftsmen and had them sent back to Mongolia. Traditional Mongol crafts and clothes include ornate silver bridles and saddles, adorned with semi-precious stones, two-stringed musical instruments with green horse heads, decorated and embroidered boots and other items made with leather, fur, textiles, wood, gold, silver and iron.

Jewelry has traditionally been valued as a means of storing wealth, displaying status and expressing beauty. Valuable object have traditionally been passed down to daughters part of their dowery. Amulets were used by shaman in religious rites. The most spectacular pieces were worn by the aristocracy. The most elaborate of these were the thick rope-like necklaces and headdress worn by nobles. Pieces kept by nomads tend to be everyday items such as saddles and belts that could be easily transported.

According to the "Worldmark Encyclopedia of Cultures and Daily Life,""Snuff-bottles are treasured among the Mongolians. They are made of gold, silver, copper, agate, jade, coral, or amber, with fine relief (raised carving) of horses, dragons, rare birds, and other animals. Another artifact is the pipe bowl, made of five metals, with delicate figures and designs. Supplemented by a sandalwood pole and red agate holder, the pipe bowl is considered precious. According to a Mongolian saying, "A pipe bowl is worth a sheep." [Source: C. Le Blanc, "Worldmark Encyclopedia of Cultures and Daily Life," Cengage Learning, 2009 ++]

Some of most awesome examples of Mongolia art are large sculptured, vividly-painted masks worn in epic-scale religious dramas. Many of the most demonic ones are actually connected with divine protection, and their intent is to keep evil spirits away. The main attraction of the Tsam (Cham) dance for many non-Tibetans and non-Mongolians is the multitude and diversity of the colorful masks. Masks are the embodiment of the Wrathful Deity. While they drive terror and great fear into the hearts of the forces of evil, the masks also provide tranquility and calm to the Buddhist practitioner who is seeking enlightenment through meditation and prayer. Masks that have survived for a long time are considered special and very powerful. They have become venerated in their own right: with pilgrims praying before them, particularly on special days or during religious festivals.

Tsam dance masks are generally about two or three times the size of a normal human head and quite heavy. Because of their weight, awkward center of gravity, sharp-edge issues, and the possibility of chafing and cuts, dancers wear padded caps or folded towels covering the forehead, sides of the face, and even the neck. The favorite head covering is the toque.

Image Sources:

Text Sources: New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Times of London, Lonely Planet Guides, Library of Congress, U.S. government, Compton's Encyclopedia, The Guardian, National Geographic, Smithsonian magazine, The New Yorker, Time, Newsweek, Reuters, AP, AFP, Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic Monthly, The Economist, Foreign Policy, Wikipedia, BBC, CNN, and various books, websites and other publications.

Last updated October 2022

CULTURE AND ARTS IN MONGOLIA

Art forms with uniquely Mongolian elements include music, dance, clothing, crafts and literature. Mongolian literature, music and other art forms have traditionally celebrated Mongolia's animals and land. Art and architecture have been influenced by Chinese and Tibetan culture. Mongolians use a Chinese-Tibetan-style calendar and Chinese abacus. The government has traditionally supported opera, ballet, folk dancing, folk music and circuses. But there is not is much money for these things any more. Many of these art forms were introduced by the Soviets.

Mongolian culture is noted for its epic poetry and music. Russian folk songs and dances, performed in Mongolian, used to be popular. Traditional Mongolian society was affected heavily by foreign influences: commerce was controlled by Chinese merchants and the state religion - Tibetan Buddhism or Lamaism - was simultaneously bureaucratic and otherworldly. Modern society has been shaped by the continued foreign - primarily Soviet - influence. [Source: Robert L. Worden, Library of Congress, June 1989 ]

William Jankowiak, Ian Skoggard, and John Beierle wrote: Mongolian artisans were honored and respected. They worked in gold, silver, iron, wood, leather, and textiles. They prefer to use lavish ornamentation and motifs with symbolic meanings associated with nature. Festival clothing is bright and colorful. Mongolians adopted many Tibetan Buddhist elements in their fine arts. Unlike Zen-inspired monochromatic painting of Japan and China, Mongolian art is solidly painted and bold in its designs. The applied arts have increased in importance because of export demands and tourist preference. [Source: William Jankowiak, Ian Skoggard, and John Beierle, e Human Relations Area Files (eHRAF) World Cultures, Yale University]

The communist government did not value Mongolian traditional art works. Much of that art was lost with the purging of Buddhism. In old Mongolia, music styles, dance performances, texts, and iconography were used to express ethnic identity. Given Mongolia's regional diversity, there was variation in songs as well as in instrument style. Herders, like other Central Asian pastorals, played predominately string or wind instruments. Songs are closely linked to old homelands, migrations, nature spirits, or former administrators, such as princes and lamas. Certain types of performance were thought to have control over the weather. Under communism these themes were forbidden. New songs and poems about nature, the homeland, love of parents, children, the state, and the Party became the preferred themes. In terms of music structure, Mongolian traditional songs fall along a continuum that range from extended long songs that are ornamental and without a regular beat. At the other end are strophic, syllabic, rhythmic short-songs performed without ornamentation.

See Separate Articles: TRADITIONAL MONGOLIAN MUSIC factsanddetails.com ; KHOOMEI (THROAT SINGING): SINGING TWO TONES SIMULTANEOUSLY factsanddetails.com ; MONGOLIAN HIP HOP, ROCK POP MUSIC AND DANCE factsanddetails.com MONGOL ART, CULTURE AND LITERATURE factsanddetails.com

Mongol Influence on the World

Mongolia and the Mongol people have periodically been at the center of international events. The histories of nations - indeed, of continents - have been rewritten and major cultural and political changes have occurred because of a virtual handful of seemingly remote pastoral nomads. The thirteenth-century accomplishments of Chinggis Khan in conquering a swath of the world from modern-day Korea to southern Russia and in invading deep into Europe, and the cultural achievements of his grandson, Khubilai Khan, in China are well-known in world history. Seven hundred years later, a much compressed Mongolian nation first attracted world attention as a strategic battleground between Japan and the Soviet Union and later between the Soviet Union and China. In the 1980s, the Mongolian People's Republic continued to be a critical geopolitical factor in Sino-Soviet relations. [Source: Robert L. Worden, Library of Congress, June 1989 *]

But Mongol influence did not end with the termination of military conquests or absorption. Their presence was institutionalized in many of the lands they conquered through adoption of Mongol military tactics, administrative forms, and commercial enterprises. The historical developments of such disparate nations as Russia, China, and Iran were directly affected by the Mongols. Wherever they settled outside their homeland, the Mongols brought about cultural change and institutional improvements. *

Although there never was a "Pax Mongolica," the spread of the Mongol polity across Eurasia resulted in a large measure of cultural exchange. Chinese scribes and artists served the court of the Ilkhans in Iran, Italian merchants served the great khans in Karakorum and Daidu (as Beijing was then known), papal envoys recorded events in the courts of the great khans, Mongol princes were dispatched to all points of the great Mongol empire to observe and be observed, and the Golden Horde and their Tatar descendants left a lasting mark on Moscovy through administrative developments and intermarriage. Although eventually subsumed as part of the Chinese empire, the Mongols were quick to seek independence when that empire disintegrated in 1911. *

Cultural Unity and Mongol Identity in the Soviet Era

The result of Mongolia's economic development and urbanization was a population that was, on the one hand, increasingly and unprecedentedly divided by occupation, education, residence, and membership in well-defined and fairly rigid status groups, but that was, on the other hand, less clearly distinguished from that of other economically developed and urbanized countries. If being Mongolian meant living in a ger in the midst of a sheep herd and being good at riding horses, then the Mongolian identity of those who lived in highrise apartments, rode buses, and worked at desks or in factories where knowledge of the Russian language was required was problematic. [Source: Robert L. Worden, Library of Congress, June 1989 *]

Mongolian nationalism, clearly a politically sensitive topic, continued to be a strong although implicit force in Mongolia in the Soviet era. The Mongol language, the cultural trait most obviously shared by all Mongolians, continued to be fostered. Much effort was devoted to translating foreign literature and textbooks into Mongol, and teams of Mongolian scholars carefully replaced Russian loan words with new terms developed from ancient Mongol roots. The goal appeared to be to ensure that Mongol did not become a dialect restricted to shepherds or preschool children and that the educated elite did not speak mostly Russian or Russian-influenced Mongol.

Apart from the significant omission of Buddhism and Buddhism, much of traditional Mongol culture was studied, preserved, and transmitted to the younger generation as a source of national pride. In early 1989, party general secretary Jambyn Batmonh told a Soviet interviewer that the harmful errors of the 1930s included destruction of the monasteries and with them the priceless cultural heritage of the Mongolian people. In 1989 the party called for overcoming indifference to the national cultural heritage, and efforts were under way to change the negative evaluation of Chinggis, who had been condemned as a bloodthirsty and aggressive conqueror of, among other places, Russia. Higher secondary schools began teaching the traditional Mongol script, replaced by Cyrillic in February 1946. In early 1989, the trade union newspaper Hodolmor (Labor) called for mass production of the traditional Mongol gown, the deel, and suggested that all Mongolian diplomats wear it.

Mongolian Literature and Folklore

The majority of Mongol literature is Buddhist, and the whole Buddhist Canon was translated from Tibetan to Mongol. There exists also a very fine collection of original historical literature that includes the Secret History of the Mongols written in the middle of the 13th century and various other chronicles, such as that of Saghang Sechen written in the second half of the 17th century, the heroic epic "Life of Jiangger," written in the fifteenth century, and "Historical Romance," written in the nineteenth century.

Mongolia has a tradition of epic poetry that was first written down in the Genghis Khan era and is closely associated with its music ( See Music). The canon of Mongolian written literature includes histories, biographies and Buddhist texts on a number of subjects. Some Buddhist sutras are elaborately decorated with gold and jewels. The State Central Library in Ulaanbaatar holds the world's largest collection of Buddhist sutras.

Mongolia's best known poet and writer is Dashdorjiin Natsagdorj (1906-37). He is regarded as the father of modern Mongolia literature. His best known works include the nationalist poem "My Native Land" and the play "Three Fateful Hills". He served as a secretary in the Stalinist government and died under mysterious circumstances in 1936. The location of his body and grave is not known.

C. Le Blanc wrote in the "Worldmark Encyclopedia of Cultures and Daily Life, "A large number of Mongolian myths are related to the origins of the Mongol people. One of their more important myths describes a tribe called Mongu fighting with other tribes for many years. Finally, the Mongu were defeated. All their people were killed except two men and two women who, by sheer luck, escaped death. They went through many hardships and ultimately took refuge in a remote, thickly forested mountain. Only a narrow winding trail led to the outside world. This was a place with plenty of water and lush grass. They married. Many years later, the population grew so large that the land could not produce enough grain to feed all the people. They had to move but, unfortunately, the narrow trail was blocked. However, an iron mine was discovered. They cut down the trees, killed bulls and horses, and made a number of bellows to use in making iron into tools. Then they began to work the mine. They not only opened an outlet to the outside world, but they also got plenty of iron. They are the ancestors of the Mongols. To commemorate their heroic undertakings, the Mongols used to smelt iron at the end of every year. [Source: C. Le Blanc, "Worldmark Encyclopedia of Cultures and Daily Life," Cengage Learning, 2009 ++]

The Gesar epic tradition was inscribed in 2009 on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. According to UNESCO: The ethnic Tibetan, Mongolian and Tu communities in western and northern China share the story of the ancient hero King Gesar, sent to heaven to vanquish monsters, depose the powerful, and aid the weak while unifying disparate tribes. The singers and storytellers who preserve the Gesar epic tradition perform episodes of the vast oral narrative (known as 'beads on a string') in alternating passages of prose and verse with numerous regional differences. [Source: UNESCO]

See KING GESAR: TIBET'S GREAT HEROIC EPIC factsanddetails.com ; MONGOL ART, CULTURE AND LITERATURE factsanddetails.com

Mongol Tuuli, the Mongolian Epic

In 2009, Mongol Tuuli, Mongolian epic was placed on the UNESCO Intangible Heritage list. According to UNESCO: "The Mongolian Tuuli is an oral tradition comprising heroic epics that run from hundreds to thousands of lines and combine benedictions, eulogies, spells, idiomatic phrases, fairy tales, myths and folk songs. They are regarded as a living encyclopaedia of Mongolian oral traditions and immortalize the heroic history of the Mongolian people. Epic singers are distinguished by their prodigious memory and performance skills, combining singing, vocal improvisation and musical composition coupled with theatrical elements. Epic lyrics are performed to musical accompaniment on instruments such as the morin khuur (horse-head fiddle) and tovshuur (lute). [Source: UNESCO ~]

"Epics are performed during many social and public events, including state affairs, weddings, a child's first haircut, the naadam (a wrestling, archery and horseracing festival) and the worship of sacred sites. Epics evolved over many centuries, and reflect nomadic lifestyles, social behaviours, religion, mentalities and imagination. Performing artists cultivate epic traditions from generation to generation, learning, performing and transmitting techniques within kinship circles, from fathers to sons. Through the epics, Mongolians transmit their historical knowledge and values to younger generations, strengthening awareness of national identity, pride and unity. Today, the number of epic trainers and learners is decreasing. With the gradual disappearance of the Mongol epic, the system of transmitting historic and cultural knowledge is degrading. ~

According to UNESCO Mongol Tuuli, Mongolian epic was placed on the UNESCO Intangible Heritage list because: 1) A living oral expression that is crucial for the cultural identity of the Mongolian people and for the historical continuity of their nomadic lifestyle, the Mongol Tuuli epic plays an important role in the traditional education of younger people living in the communities where it is performed; 2) Although Mongolian singers continue to attach great importance to performing the epic within traditional contexts and in sacred settings, and endeavour to transmit performing techniques to the younger generation in the manner learned from their ancestors, the epic is today at severe risk because of its shrinking social sphere, changing socioeconomic conditions and the weakening of nomadic practices, the difficulties for younger people to master the complex poetic language, and the increasing popularity of mass entertainment media, [Source: UNESCO]

Galsansuh

Bill Donahue wrote in the Washington Post, "Galsansuh, 40, is a self-proclaimed "postmodern Mongolian poet"; the editor of Serious News, a UB broadsheet that rails with anarchist brio against corrupt politicians; and a mogul on UB's alt-rock scene. It is he who, 15 years ago, gathered the musicians for Nisvanis, a Mongol take on Nirvana. Lean and crew-cut, he speaks in harsh, vitriolic bursts. [Source: Bill Donahue, Washington Post, September 20, 2013 |::|]

"Class warfare," says Galsansuh, except that I can hardly hear him as Kreator, a German thrash metal band, is screaming on the stereo of his Land Cruiser as we cut through the streets of UB..."Class warfare," he says again, en route to a Korean restaurant, and I'm a bit bewildered. The underclass in Mongolia is disparate: 400,000 or so herders speckling the steppes and the desert. No one else I'll meet will speak of uniting them. But there is something absolute about Galsansuh. Driving through UB, he guns it wherever he can. He slams the brakes in advance of a pothole, then swirls right into a dirt alley to skirt a traffic jam and flies along through a parking lot. |::|

"Though he carries himself like a cartoon villain, Galsansuh is powerful, and connected. His good friend Kh.Battulga is a wealthy parliament member, a one-time national judo champion and the lead financier for the gargantuan Genghis statue 35 miles outside town. "Mongolian national hero," Galsansuh says of Battulga as we settle into the restaurant. "He has no Chinese blood - he is pure Mongolian. And that statue of Chinggis Khan [Ghengis Khan], it's a tool we need to keep us from becoming part of China." |::|

"In the meantime, Galsansuh is fighting. He opens his newspaper up on the table now, and all five guys on the front page look fat and pasty, like boiled fish. They radiate bad karma. I recognize one of the shysters as Mongolia's most recent ex-president, the imprisoned N. Enkhbayar. While he was in office, Enkhbayar secretly financed the construction of the 25-story Blue Sky Tower, a soulless glass building - blue-tinted and shaped like a sail - that sits in downtown UB, looming above the red-tiled roof of an ancient pagoda. |::|

"The Blue Sky Tower is on my Mongolian cellphone - the default screen saver is the glassy and glimmering flank of the tower. I show it to Galsansuh and ask, "Have Mongolians become too enchanted with glitz and material wealth to care?" He is smoking now and clenching the cigarette in his lips, no fingers. "I don't have time for such silly questions," he says. He snatches the bill and pays. Then we leave.

Mongolia Art

Most Mongolia art has been inspired by Tibetan Buddhism or shamanism and resembles Tibetan art. Artworks include golden Buddhist icons, Tibetan-style frescos, pictorial applique and shamanist masks and implements. Much of Mongolia's old art has been lost. The Buddhist destroyed shamanist art as they attempted to make their belief the dominant one. Stalinist purges in the 1930s made ruins of practically all of Mongolia's 700 monasteries and all the art in them.

Mongolian thankas (Tibetan-style cloth paintings) are made with chalk, glue, "arkhi" (milk vodka) and minerals mixed with yak skin glue. For the most part they look like Tibetan thankhas except some have some camels in the background. There are some from the Soviet era that feature factory workers and miners.

Art produced the Soviet period was influenced a great deal by socialist realism and Russian impressionism. Many artists studied art in the Soviet Union.

See Separate Articles on Tibetan Art factsanddetails.com and factsanddetails.com and factsanddetails.com .

Zanabazar and Other Mongolian Artists

Zanabazar (1635-1723) is Mongolia's famous leader from the post-Mongol-empire period. Regarded as the first The Jebtzun Damba, the Living Buddha of Mongolia, he was declared leader of the Buddhists in Mongolia in 1641. He was not only a great political and religious leader he was is also regarded as Mongolia's most famous artist and sculptor. Trained in Tibet, he created lovely Buddhist paintings and thankas, invented Mongolia's vertical script, designed great temples, and produced beautiful bronze statues. Some of his loveliest pieces are of goddess Tara. They are said to have been modeled after his teenage lover.

When Zanabazar was three it was deemed he possessed the qualities of a reincarnated saint. At the age of 13 he was sent to Tibet to study under the Dalai Lama. While in Tibet he not only received spiritual guidance he learned the art of bronze casting which launched his career as an artist. He is credited with inventing the Soyombi, Mongolia's national symbol. He died in 1723 in Beijing. His body was taken to what would be Ulaanbaatar and later was entombed in stupa at Amarbayasgalant Monastery. Zanabazar is an object of art as well as an artist. Images of Zanabazar are seen throughout Mongolia. They are easily recognizable: a monk with a shiny bald head and a thunderbolt in one hand.

Another well known lamas was Danzan Ravjaa, also known as the Great and Horrible Saint of the Gobi. Believed to be the 35th incarnation of Yamsang Yidam, a Mongolian deity, he was a skilled artist and was known for producing plays at monasteries and healing the sick from great distances. He lived in the 19th century. Among the other famous artists are the artist-monk Damdinsuren (1868-1938) and the painter Balduugiyn Shara (1869-1939). The later is known for his paintings of every day Mongolian life.

Mongolian Calligraphy

In 2013, Mongolian calligraphy was placed on the UNESCO Intangible Heritage list. According to UNESCO: Mongolian calligraphy is the technique of handwriting in the Classical Mongolian script, which comprises ninety letters connected vertically by continuous strokes to create words. The letters are formed from six main strokes, known as head, tooth, stem, stomach, bow and tail, respectively. This meticulous writing is used for official letters, invitations, diplomatic correspondence and love letters; for a form of shorthand known as synchronic writing; and for emblems, logos, coins and stamps in 'folded' forms. [Source: UNESCO ~]

Traditionally, mentors select the best students and train them to be calligraphers over a period of five to eight years. Students and teachers bond for life and continue to stimulate each other's artistic endeavours. The rate of social transformation, urbanization and globalization have led to a significant drop in the number of young calligraphers. At present, only three middle-aged scholars voluntarily train the small community of just over twenty young calligraphers. Moreover, increases in the cost of living mean that mentors can no longer afford to teach the younger generation without remuneration. Special measures are therefore needed to attract young people to the traditional art of writing and to safeguard and revitalize the tradition of Mongolian script and calligraphy. ~

Mongolian calligraphy has experienced a rebirth since the democratization of Mongolia in the 1990s, after decades of suppression. However, according to UNESCO Mongolian calligraphy was placed on the UNESCO Intangible Heritage list because: 1) Mongolian calligraphy provides a sense of identity and historical continuity to Mongolian people at large; revived with the establishment of democracy in the 1990s, the practice has pertinent social and economic functions for its bearers in the contemporary context; 2) The viability of Mongolian calligraphy is at risk because of the limited number of tradition bearers who transmit their knowledge, the absence of appropriate safeguarding policies and the lack of interest by the young generation.

Living Dioramas in the Mongolian Desert

Paris-based Korean photographer Daesung Lee produced a series of "Living Dioramas in the Mongolian Desert": Rachel Nuwer wrote in The New Yorker, "As part of an ongoing series exploring the cultural effects of climate change...Lee recently set out to capture Mongolia's transformation. But rather than documenting picturesque pastoralists at home in the Gobi Desert, or the squalor of Ulaanbaatar's ger district, Lee created and photographed living dioramas that vividly juxtapose the old Mongolian landscape and the new. [Source: Rachel Nuwer, The New Yorker, May 5, 2015 /]

"The photos in the series, entitled "Futuristic Archaeology," show billboard-sized backdrops of past or future landscapes erected in the countryside: images of grasslands stand in the desert, cordoned off behind velvet ropes; pictures of sandy slopes are set against a still-lush steppe. Former nomads, recruited with the help of a local environmental N.G.O., enact scenes-of hunting, herding, and, in one case, Mongolian wrestling-in the contrasting artificial and actual scenery. Dressed in traditional deel robes, the nomads seem frozen in time, like displays in a natural-history museum. In one image, an older couple gazes from the confines of their roped-off square at a man, woman, and two small children clad in jeans and T-shirts. The elders seem like otherworldly visitors from the past. The modern family, and the arid sands around them, appear as embodiments of Mongolia's present and future. /

Nick Kirkpatrick wrote in the Washington Post, "Lee didn't want to document as much as he wanted to preserve. To create the museum's dioramas scientists and artists would spend sometimes months traveling to take pictures and collect specimens before painstakingly creating a picture of a faraway place piece-by-piece, preserving a moment frozen in time. Lee's dioramas show what would happen if traditional Mongolian culture fades away and is only seen inside a museum. "The nomadic life in Mongolia better alive ... I thought that we better preserve the society and the culture," Lee told In Sight. That culture can then have "function and meaning" instead of being "preserved like a fossil in museum," he said. [Source: Nick Kirkpatrick, Washington Post, February 18, 2015]

Crafts of Mongolia

Historically, Mongol craftsmen and artisans were greatly respected. After raiding a city the Mongols often rounded up the craftsmen and had them sent back to Mongolia. Traditional Mongol crafts and clothes include ornate silver bridles and saddles, adorned with semi-precious stones, two-stringed musical instruments with green horse heads, decorated and embroidered boots and other items made with leather, fur, textiles, wood, gold, silver and iron.

Jewelry has traditionally been valued as a means of storing wealth, displaying status and expressing beauty. Valuable object have traditionally been passed down to daughters part of their dowery. Amulets were used by shaman in religious rites. The most spectacular pieces were worn by the aristocracy. The most elaborate of these were the thick rope-like necklaces and headdress worn by nobles. Pieces kept by nomads tend to be everyday items such as saddles and belts that could be easily transported.

According to the "Worldmark Encyclopedia of Cultures and Daily Life,""Snuff-bottles are treasured among the Mongolians. They are made of gold, silver, copper, agate, jade, coral, or amber, with fine relief (raised carving) of horses, dragons, rare birds, and other animals. Another artifact is the pipe bowl, made of five metals, with delicate figures and designs. Supplemented by a sandalwood pole and red agate holder, the pipe bowl is considered precious. According to a Mongolian saying, "A pipe bowl is worth a sheep." [Source: C. Le Blanc, "Worldmark Encyclopedia of Cultures and Daily Life," Cengage Learning, 2009 ++]

Some of most awesome examples of Mongolia art are large sculptured, vividly-painted masks worn in epic-scale religious dramas. Many of the most demonic ones are actually connected with divine protection, and their intent is to keep evil spirits away. The main attraction of the Tsam (Cham) dance for many non-Tibetans and non-Mongolians is the multitude and diversity of the colorful masks. Masks are the embodiment of the Wrathful Deity. While they drive terror and great fear into the hearts of the forces of evil, the masks also provide tranquility and calm to the Buddhist practitioner who is seeking enlightenment through meditation and prayer. Masks that have survived for a long time are considered special and very powerful. They have become venerated in their own right: with pilgrims praying before them, particularly on special days or during religious festivals.

Tsam dance masks are generally about two or three times the size of a normal human head and quite heavy. Because of their weight, awkward center of gravity, sharp-edge issues, and the possibility of chafing and cuts, dancers wear padded caps or folded towels covering the forehead, sides of the face, and even the neck. The favorite head covering is the toque.

Image Sources:

Text Sources: New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Times of London, Lonely Planet Guides, Library of Congress, U.S. government, Compton's Encyclopedia, The Guardian, National Geographic, Smithsonian magazine, The New Yorker, Time, Newsweek, Reuters, AP, AFP, Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic Monthly, The Economist, Foreign Policy, Wikipedia, BBC, CNN, and various books, websites and other publications.

Last updated October 2022

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Art forms with uniquely Mongolian elements include music, dance, clothing, crafts and literature. Mongolian literature, music and other art forms have traditionally celebrated Mongolia's animals and land. Art and architecture have been influenced by Chinese and Tibetan culture. Mongolians use a Chinese-Tibetan-style calendar and Chinese abacus.

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There are some famous inscription in Mongolia, here I will give example and talk about it. The first one is Inscription of Hüis Tolgoi. This inscription was found during the Bulgan Province, the 11 lines (right to left) that are on the script's language were unknown until it was hypothesiz it's Mongolian language rather then Turkic. Some themes for the inscription are religion, historical or even Epitaphs or memorial. What makes this culture special is that it is different from other inscription as it's still a "hypothesis" of what the language is, including who started it as it still remains a mystery. From the inscription that we have today, we can see their cultural and some epitaphs, which can help us understand more about their ancient culture which will help them with future developments.

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NICHOLAS POPPE, THE MONGOLIAN INSCRIPTION, Central Asiatic Journal, Vol. 6, No. 1 (1961), pp. 14-18

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Mongolian fiction stories are a kind of literature way that the Mongolian use, here I will be talking about some speical points about the literature work. First, the short stories (ficition stories) is very closed to their culture, such asit might be "nomadic" way as it's connected to their living style, sometimes even includes their religion. Second of all, Folks and myth are also a good theme for a short stories as it clearly shows their values towards life and their belifs. By having these two main idea, they can create story that is unique and different from others. In some short stories, animal is also important as Mongolians is very close to animals, and they like to use animal in their story, a good example is the golden eagle.

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One of the greatest writers of Mongolia, NATSAGDORJ Dashdorj. Many of his novels and poems have been popular and highly appreciated through the years and were translated and published in many countries around the world. He was one of the founders of Mongolia's contemporary literature, introduced new genres and subjects through his works, brought another light to the society, and inspired people with a vision of freedom. Although he has lived for only 31 years, his great contribution to the society and arts and culture development of Mongolia is invaluable.

Out of many of his works, we selected three short stories. These and more other Mongolian stories were translated and published on "Mongolia" Magazine and later edited by Henry G. Schwarz and published by the Center for East Asian Studies, Western Washington University in 1974.

Through this short stories, you can learn cultural and political changes and how things were at that period, difficult times that we were going through, and yet lots of Mongolian words such as deel (traditional outfit) or ger (dwelling).

SON OF THE OLD WORLD, 1930. D. Natsagdorj

Life in the steppe is monotonous. The days drag on, one being very much like the next. In the tussocky, marshy steppe near a well, the smoke can sometimes be seen curling from a faded ger. The endless white mist all around saddens the heart. Scorching the felt ger, the sultry summer heat deadens the cattle-breeder's thoughts. The earth surrounding the nomad ger is spotted with the flat cakes of cow manure. Here and there some little calves frolic.

From their very childhood to old age people dwelt close to a single river and roamed up and down its banks. Their entire life centered around one well. Gavji Jambal squatted forever in a front corner, babbling about God and the scriptures. Zaisan Namji1 would arrive and talk about all sorts of things concerning the laws. Listening to them the Mongols thought that there were no villages beyond the mountains and that the horizon was the end of the earth. They knew nothing of what was going on in the world. Living in their remote corner day after day, the Mongols prayed to God in the mornings and in the evenings bowed to the sky. They lived this way until they died.

The son of the old world drove up to the ger at a trot. Tied around his head was a white cotton kerchief, and a few hairs broken loose from his tousled black pigtail hung across his cheek. His torn, threadbare sleeves revealed two rough, gray elbows.

Jumping down lightly to the ground, the rider firmly tethered his horse, wiped the perspiration off his sunburned face with the flap of his deel and walked into the ger. He had hardly stepped inside when he began telling that the Baldans were fulling felt that the Tsendas were grazing sheep at the saltmarsh, that Damba had gone to look for his horses, and that Gombo had returned from his trip to Khangay. Then, having told other bits of news about people they all knew, he walked over to the hearth. He now cast a meek glance at the gavj1 and zaisan and gave them a low bow. Having been given a bowl of sour milk and a hunk of khusam, he squatted down near the open fire and began to eat.

After finishing his meal, he walked out of the ger and directed his steps to the house of the rich man Baljir where he would look after the foals while the mares were being milked. For this he got some mare's milk which he drank up on the spot. Half a day passed in this way. In the afternoon he helped shear somebody else's sheep and was fed some offal. And now the afternoon was drawing to a close.

By nature the son of the old world was not a dull-witted person; his life, however, passed within the confines of but three or four ortoo. He had never had occasion to go as far as the border of the eastern khoshuun nor had he been on the bank of the western river. How much could he therefore see or hear?

He was young and strong but, having remained a poor orphan in his childhood, he was compelled to hire himself out to his neighbors and so lost the road to a more worthwhile life.

In the cold winters he guarded horses at night, and in the hot summers he herded sheep. The life he led in the steppes day in and day out was a dull and monotonous existence without a glimmer of light. It was like living in an overturned cauldron and seeing no more of the world than the marmot who hibernates in the winter and crawls out of his burrow only in the spring. He could not imagine any other life than the roaming from one pasture to another spring, summer, fall and winter. He knew of no other truth except the words of his ancestors and his elders. What a blighted and ignorant life! How his young years had been wasted! Why then did he not seek a new world?

But how could the son of the old world by himself grasp the sad conditions of his existence, how could he see the injustice of the rule of the feudal lords and lamas? Living according to their ancient customs, mistaking suffering for happiness, gloom and ignorance for prosperity, a whole people most of whom, like the son of the old world, closing their eyes and ears, were unaware of the world and had nearly forever remained cut off in their desolated steppe.

However, ever since the day the marvelous man had made a revolution in the north, rays of light penetrated beneath the overturned cauldron. The Mongolian people were awakened from their slumber. Everybody now learned that there was more land beyond the horizon, that there were five oceans and five continents. The road to a new world was opened to the people, the road to development. The son of the old world became the son of the new world. Happiness and rejoicing were now the lot of the people!

A SWIFT-FOOTED HORSE, 1930. D. Natsagdorj

It is interesting to watch a mirage quivering and ripping in the distance, but it is hard to determine what the tiny dots are that shift in the haze. Only when you come closer do you see that they are horsemen racing across the plain. Racing is the favorite sport of plainsmen, and a fast horse fills every Mongol with admiration and delight.

Pulling hard on the bit, Surenhuu dashed to the winning post. He wiped the lather from his horse and lit a cigarette. The graceful dun horse, its sides heaving so that the ribs stood out, pawed the ground with its graceful legs and shook its beautiful head. From time to time it tossed its head high until it appeared to be ready to take off for the clouds. It moved its ears. Surenhuu's heart swelled with pride at having such a horse.

Other riders came racing up. They admired the horse and called it Shuvuun Saarai [Swift-footed Horse]. They begged Surenhuu to sell them the horse, offering him the price of several young horses. Surenhuu refused.

"I don't want to sell him," he said, running his hand over the horse's head.

All the men discussed the merits of the horse. Only toward the end of the day did they ride off into the rays of the setting sun in groups of two and three, heading for home. When they halted on the way they continued to discuss the horse.

The first rays of the morning sun lit up the sky, and the moon, a sliver arched like an eyebrow, vanished. Autumn hoarfrost glittered all around. The peaks of the mountains loomed in the distance. Surenhuu stepped out of his ger, saddled his horse, and galloped off toward the west.

By the time the sun rose, Surenhuu had crossed several hills and rivers. Seated carelessly in the saddle, he was trying to cover a distance of two days' travel in one. He wanted to reach a distant aimag by night. Shuvuun Saaral was going at a fast trot, his bridle jangling.

Man and horse sped across the plain. It was a clear, sunny day, with a gentle breeze ruffling the grass by the roadside. Far ahead, a herd of antelopes swept like a wave across the road. In the far distance there was a glimpse of a nomad camp. That was where Sunjidma lived.

Surenhuu and his horse swept past the neighboring aimag. It was all so interesting - hills and rivers they had never seen before. Horses and cattle were grazing everywhere. They passed gers beside which milch mares were neighing. It was time for airag and feasting, but where was the time to stop by and make merry? Surenhuu was not interested. He was in a hurry, and so he galloped past without halting. Shuvuun Saaral was tearing along as swiftly as he had in the morning. His graceful legs raised clouds of dust. The nomad dwellers, young and old, gazed in surprise after the horseman flying ahead on his beautiful horse.

But Surenhuu had already vanished from view. The closer he came to the camp the more excited he grew. He rejoiced at the thought of seeing Sunjidma again. It was rapidly growing dark and the moon had not yet come up. In this unfamiliar locality he could only trust to his swift-footed horse. No matter how Surenhuu strained his eyes he could no longer make out the hills in the distance and could only depend for direction on the stars in the sky. He halted to get his bearings. At that moment a light flickered close by.

Again Surenhuu's heart leaped with joy as he drove his horse forward. Nothing interfered with his swift onrush. Sparks flew from the hooves of his steed. Soon he came to two or three gers huddled at the foot of a hill. Sunjldma emerged from the first ger to quiet the dogs. Her sweet face shone in the gloom of the night.

BITTER TEARS ON NEW YEAR'S EVE, 1932. D. Natsagdorj

Myadagma, the landlord's daughter, would allow Tserma to put on one of her old worn deels for the holidays. Having beaten the mattresses, she picked up the rubbish into a basket, placed it on her back and headed toward the gate. People were carrying gifts and foodstuff wrapped in white cloth. Tserma went past them with the basket on her back but did not make way for them. The merchants cried out angrily:

"What's the matter with you, are you blind or something? What are you shaking your dirt and trash on our gifts for? What a dumb girl!" Anybody who felt like it could order Tserma around.

After the girl carried out the trash and returned, Myadagma again called out to tell her to take out some more trash. Then in the afternoon firewood had to be sawn. It's very hard to saw alone. At that moment, Tsui tern, a young man who was watering horses in the yard next door came up to the fence and looking through a crack, called Tserma.

Tsultem and Tserma, working for the owners of two neighboring ger were in love with one another, but their masters did not take their love seriously, convinced that "the common people don't know happiness, and the poor can't love." They made fun of the young couple and wouldn't even allow them to meet.

Suddenly a man came up to the gate. Seeing her boyfriend, Myadagma quickly came forward to meet him. Holding hands, talking cheerfully and laughing, they went toward the ger. That was when they caught sight of Tserma at the fence.

"Hey, what are you doing there?" Myadagma called, ridicule in her voice.

Hearing those words, Dagdan's wife threw open the felt ger door and came rushing out shouting, "What a rotten good-for-nothing! Now why aren't you sawing firewood, you dumbbell?"

This time Tserma screwed up her courage and replied, "Sawing alone takes too long and I'd have no time to do the other chores, so I asked Tsui tern here to help me."

"Well, then don't waste any time and start sawing," Dagdan's wife retorted and went back into the ger.

Tserma was happy; Tsultem could now enter Dagdan's yard and saw together with her.

Dusk began to fall. The weather got worse and fluffy snowflakes started coming down, but Tserma and Tsultem kept on working, the rasp and whine of the saw merging with the strains of a shanz coming from the warm ger where Myadagma was enjoying herself with her boyfriend. This made the hired hands a bit sad, but they went on sawing, every once in a while blowing on their frozen fingers to keep them warm. They kept saying gentle and loving things to each other, trying to hide the depth of their suffering behind light remarks. It was all very touching. Tserma told him that her masters were getting special clothes and fine food ready for the holidays, and Tsultem told her about his master who had brought home a fine pacer from his herd. Suddenly Tsultem brought out a silk kerchief from under his shirt and handed it to Tserma. This little gift seemed to the girl a million times more precious than Myadagma's new silk deel.

She told him sadly that with the approaching New Year there had been much more work to do and that her masters were all the time berating her for trying to meet him more frequently. As they talked and worked, time flew by. When they finished sawing, it was already late and Tserma had to start doing her housework. Parting with Tsultem, she entered the ger. There, in good old tradition, plates with meat dumplings, cold meat and other delicacies were laid out around the hearth. All this had been prepared by Tserma.

The guests in new holiday dresses were cheerfully getting ready to sit down and to partake of all these delectable tidbits. But Tserma saw the New Year in at the cauldron over the fire.

Myadagma brought in her silk deel and ordered Tserma to put it on, but Tserma said in a hesitant tone: "I'll put it on tomorrow," and laid it aside. Then she took out Tsultem's gift, the kerchief, and every once in a while pressed it to her face. Suddenly Dagdan's wife caught sight of the kerchief and cried out, "Where did you get that? That's probably from among our gifts."

It hurt Tserma to be so wrongly accused but neither could she readily admit that Tsui tern had presented it to her. And so she said nothing.

Many guests gathered that evening to see in the New Year. The ger was resounding with merry laughter and voices. Only Tserma was sitting sadly at the stove and sighing bitterly. She didn't get any sleep that night again; she had to do the cooking for everybody for the next day. The next day her master and mistress were going out and she had to prepare everything they needed. At the same time she managed to meet respectfully and serve all those who called at the ger. She somehow managed to pull through the next day, but in the evening guests arrived again. They made merry, drank a lot, and were noisy, played music, and Tserma cleaned up after them, making their beds, bringing in pillows for them, and so another night passed for her.

They were carousing at her master's ger for several days on end. Tserma was exhausted body and soul, but no one paid any attention to her, and she just had no choice. Only in moments when she was alone did she let her misery-laden tears flow. And only once in a while did she unburden herself by talking to Tsultem through a crack in the fence.

So two more years passed. Again New Year's was approaching. The Dagdans were planning to leave the city and move out to the steppe for some reason. The mistress wanted to take Tserma along with her. But Tsultem sneaked out one day, called her quietly and, when she came out of the ger, said to her, "Let's get out of here and live together."

Tserma was too excited to understand everything he said to her, but when she heard his last words she was overjoyed. She quickly gathered her few belongings and left with Tsultem.

Tsu1tem's ger was black and tattered, but Tserma felt a million times happier there than in Dagdan's white ger where she had to sleep by the threshold. Now she would be able to get up when she wanted and do her own work and rest when people are supposed to rest. Now she would be living with her beloved Tsuitem.

Another New Year came around. Never since her arrival in the city had Tserma slept so peacefully on this festive night. In the morning she got up early and dressed. Her deel wasn't of silk and beaver but it was beautiful.
Official Source: https://cedar.wwu.edu/easpress/11/

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3 Mongolian Short Stories By Natsagdorj.D

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Through this short stories, you can learn cultural and political changes and how things were at that period, difficult times that we were going through, and yet lots of Mongolian words such as deel (traditional outfit) or ger (dwelling).

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A famous poet in Mongolia is Dashdorjiin Natsagdorj. He was born in 1906 and passed away in 1937. He played a significant roole in the 20th century that help Mongolia's literature develop. A work that is done by him is the "Minii Nutag" in the poem, he worship about how beautiful Mongolian is as it talks about the nature beauty of it. From this example, we can see the Mongolian people really value their country's nature. Second, he also wrote about poem related to revolution, which shows Mongolian's history that is real. However with his piece, the people thought his work were "feudalism and nationalism" so they banned it, but it was until decades, the piece were shown to the public once again. From this poet, we can see how Mongolian's really value their country, as well as the themes for literature works.

Text based file: https://lekh.co/dashdorjiin-natsagdorj-patriot-evoking-poem/ In this website we can see the poem the poet create, which shows how he cares about the native and land he is living on. (Poet)

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Dashdorjiyn Natsagdorj | Mongolian writer

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Other articles where Dashdorjiyn Natsagdorj is discussed: Mongolian literature: The 20th century and beyond: Dashdorjiin Natsagdorj (Nachugdorji), one of the founders of modern literature in Mongolia, introduced new genres and subjects through, for instance, his patriotic poems Minii nutag ("My Motherland") and Tüükhiin shüleg ("Verses on History"), both on revolution and tradition, as well as through Erkh chölöö khüsekhüi...

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Falconry is a hobbies the Mongolians do in their free times. The concept of "Falcon" in Mongolia symbolized braveness and power. Mongolians will used the golden eagle that weighted between 3 to 7 kilograms. Hunters will placed the eagle on their stretched arm, and usually riding a horse. The hunters need to keep their balanced on the horse while carrying the eagle. When they let the golden eagle fly away, they will hunt for Rodents in the area. However, there are only about 400 golden eagle hunters in Mongolia due to Mongolia eagle hunter Association.

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Origin of the Eagle Masters and Hunting
The Kyrgyz, Kazakh, and Mongol traditions date back 900 years to the time of the Mongol Empire. Like traditional practices elsewhere in the world, the art of hunting with eagles is on the verge of extinction. But Mongolian Falconry is alive and well kept in Kazakh culture here in Mongolia.
Moreover, people all around the world practice the primal culture of hunting. But hunting with birds of prey is more challenging, as it takes three to four years to teach a bird to hunt. Further, the Golden Eagle weighs 3 to 7kg (7 to 17pounds) and the hunters have to keep their bird on a stretched arm. Not only this style of hunting makes it a difficult sport but at the same time, it offers an invaluable glimpse of the past and present of traditional hunting.

Mongolian falconry - Eagle Master

Facts about Golden Eagle Training
The same man must teach the bird, with that person being with the bird at all times. In other words, the great bird will grow accustomed to the voice of the "berkuchi", its master, its friend, and teacher.
Both falcon and golden eagle attack and kill their prey instantly by breaking its neck or spine and leaving only barely visible marks on the fur of the prey. This hunting method leaves the fur and skin practically fully intact. The prey of Falcons could be small rodents, rabbits, and foxes. On the other hand for such a powerful bird as the Golden Eagle, it could be bobcats, roe deer, and even young wolves stranded in deep snow during winter.

Hunter brothers with their Eagle and falcon perched on their arms

Timewise, the Hunting season usually starts at the end of October or the beginning of November and lasts for four months.
More about the great hunter, the Golden Eagle
This superb hunter, the golden eagle, possesses lethal talons that can carry animals as large as foxes effortlessly into the air. Larger prey also includes deer, lambs, and young goats but eagles do not usually slay them but eat them as carrion.
Domestic animals such as dogs are not excluded from the skilled hunter's talons. They possess incredibly keen eyesight and are easily able to scan far enough to spot a rabbit, lizard, or mouse two kilometers away. Their hearing is also excellent because they need to be able to hear the cries of their young chicks when they are flying some distance away.

Mongolian Falconry Golden Eagle

The golden eagle has over 2,000 feathers, from small, downy ones for keeping the bird warm when it's riding the often freezing thermals to large broad flight feathers. They take immaculate care of them, preening themselves meticulously. Considering that they have a wingspan of up to two meters this is not a task to underestimate. Their mating habits are just as amazing because they dance in the air, enticing each other by soaring, swooping, chasing, and diving until eventually, they lock talons and spiral down to earth.

Golden Eagle wing span in flight

Dwindling numbers of the Golden Eagles
It is not difficult to understand why the number of Golden Eagles is dwindling. Each pair of these magnificent birds need around 3,000 acres of land as their hunting territory. As humankind demands more land for themselves, the terrain gets spoiled for hunters like eagles. In a nearby woodland area, sometimes you can see an eagle, wings spread out, gliding on the fresh breezes. As its piercing cries conjure up bygone times when our ancestors were forest dwellers peaceably co-existing with these wondrous feathered creatures. Our hearts are wrenched with sorrow that in the future we might cause their extinction. Yet currently, the Golden Eagles are not considered to be under threat of extinction. Even some numbers have soared from near extinction in certain parts of the world. There is still time for us all to respect the environment that we share with them so that we all may survive for many years to come.

Eagle feeding perched on Mongolian eagle hunters arm

The best place to see the Art of Hunting with Golden eagles:
The best place to witness the art of hunting with golden eagles is one of the most important festivals of the West parts of Mongolia, the Golden Eagle Festival.
Check out our " Eagle Festival Tour Mongolia" as well as the " Golden Eagle Festival Tour" where you can be a part of the locals and witness the skill of Eagle and Master. Both tours offer you priceless opportunities with eagle master, one more local and the other much more crowded and touristy. View the tour footage close up here.

Golden eagle landing on arm

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Mongolian Falconry - The Art of Hunting with Golden Eagles - Travel Mongolia | Nomadic Trails

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Like traditional practices elsewhere in the world, the art of hunting with eagles is on the verge of extinction. But Mongolian Falconry is alive and well kept in Kazakh culture.

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Mongolia wrestling, Bökh was widely used in the training of Mongolian soldiers. Although it can be regarded as a kind of sport or competition, it is also the Mongolian hobbies. Among them, it is famous for testing people's strength, agility and courage. In their tradition, there will be 9 stage of competition, and no more then 1024 people attending the game. In order to win the game, the opponent's body part that is upper then their knee has to touch the ground, as this is because of the origin of Mongolian wrestling, which is from war.

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Mongol Bokh is a traditional Mongolian wrestling. The Mongolian wrestling from time immemorial was widely used in the training of soldiers, in addition, it often acted as a determining factor in the battle between the warring sides. Before the battle began, the first warriors-heroes would step forward, known for their strength, dexterity and courage, whose duel could decide the outcome of the battle so that it might not happen at all.

Traditionally, the number of wrestlers participating in the tournament should not exceed 1024. Competitions are held in 9 stages, which are called "davaa" (pass). After each daava, the losing fighter drops out. Winners of each stage are given honorary titles: "aslan" (lion), "zaan" (elephant), "nachin" (falcon). The highest rank that the winner of all 9 stages could attain in the national tournament "Naadam" is the "avrag" (giant).

Before the beginning of each wrestling, wrestlers perform a ritual dance "devig", imitating the flight of the bird of prey. After that, the rivals come together and begin the fight, which is conducted only in the rack.

In the fight, wrestlers use such techniques as captures and release from them, jerks and pushes in order to bring the opponent out of balance, throwing, including using the feet, as well as the footboard. In the fight, hand grips are allowed on the feet. To win, it is necessary to guide the opponent first to touch the ground with any part of the body from the knee and up. The lack of continuation of the bout on the ground is explained by the fact that in ancient times the troops consisted entirely of horsemen, and the soldier who fell from the horse quickly died. The most prestigious victory is that when the winner throws an opponent on his back and knees him to the ground.

MONGOL BOKH - national wrestling (Mongolia).

Composition of the team - 2 people: 1 athlete, 1 coach.

Athletes older than 18 are allowed to take part in the competitions. The competitions are held among men in the absolute weight category. In all weight categories, a maximum of 1 athlete is allowed.

Competitions are held under the current rules of the Mongol national wrestling federation.

The winner in the absolute weight category has the right to take part in the Great Nomad Wrestling.

Download: competition rules of Mongol Bokh

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Mongolia calligraphy is a traditional hobbies that people work or write in the past. What makes it special is that it's comprises ninety letters connected vertically, and created words. With it's special way of writing and creating words, in present, there are only about 3 middle-aged writer that trains other 20 more young writers. However the expectation for this is high, so there are less and less people who knows how to write, and that is one reason that makes it special. Another fact is that it has already been added to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.

https://ich.unesco.org/en/USL/mongolian-calligraphy-00873

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Ger, also known as yurt is a kind of house that the Nomadic people live in as it's easy to carry and build while traveling. There are some Precautions about it: First, when you entered a ger, do not knock the door as it's consider a rude action. Once you have entered the Ger, open the door flap with your right hand at the right side because it prevents bad luck. Staying overnight in a ger is fine but when you are sleeping, point your feet to the door. Be comfortable while staying in a ger, feel relax and make yourself at home. This is important because this respect their traditional living ger from other people, with these etiquette, it can prevent the house and the manners from disappearing.

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Tours, Trips & Treks to Mongolia | Travel to Mongolia | Nomadic Journeys

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The Mongolians are warm-hearted and sincere. They welcome strangers travelling to stay for the night in their ger and treat them to milk tea, food and airag/khomis. The guests are given a warm send-off by the hosts and prayed for their safe journey. Visitors have traditionally greeted warmly because, in the past, harsh travelling conditions made nomads rely on each other. Also, travellers were the main sources of news from the outside world. Here are some Mongolia's basic do's and don'ts.

Mongolian Greetings

Mongolians are comfortable shaking hands with Westerners as a greeting, and everyday greetings include "Sain bainu?" ("How are you?") and "Saixan namarjinuu?" ("Are you having a good autumn?"). In response to the first inquiry, you are expected to always answer in the positive: "Sain sain" ("I'm well"). Also, Mongolians when they are close they are comfortable giving each other hugs.

The traditional Mongolian greeting, especially in the countryside, is for a young person to hold out his arms, palms up, and grasp the older person just in front of the elbows. The older person does the same thing except with his palms down. This style of greeting is associated mostly with the Lunar New Year or when people meet for the first time in the new year. It usually is performed only by close relatives and friends. Also, the older person give traditional kiss by giving quick sniffing on forehead or both cheeks.

"Presenting the Hadag" is an essential welcoming gesture. Hadag is a strip of silk or cotton used as a greeting gift among both Tibetans and Mongolians. Mongolian hadag is sky blue, but shades like white and light yellow occur as well. When one is lucky enough to be presented a hadag, one should grasp it gently in both hands while bowing slightly. The giving/ receiving of hadag is an outward sign of mutual respect, something that is very important in Mongolian culture.

Mongolia Customs of Respect

To show respect when accepting something, use your right hand and hold right elbow with your left hand or use both hands together. Even if you are offered something, you don't want you are expected to accept it and, at the very least, pretend to try it. Refusal or pushing something away is a severe breach of etiquette.

Hats are important in Mongolian culture, so never wear one indoors, especially in a temple or ger. Never touch another person's hat, even if you are sliding it out of the way. It is also considered bad manners if you don't take off your gloves or coat when inside, especially when eating or drinking. To do so is to imply your host is not being hospitable by providing adequate warmth.

It is impolite to come out directly and ask for something like directions. Don't write a name with a red pen, don't point with an index finger at anyone, don't point with your feet, it is better to use your whole hand palms up to point at someone or something. If accidentally step on a foot, apologize profusely and shake their hand.

The head is considered the most sacred party of the body and the bottom of the feet is the dirtiest part of the body. One should not touch a person's head, place a hand on the back of a chair in which someone is sitting, put feet on tables or chairs. If you accidentally touch someone with your foot or touch their head, apologize profusely. A great effort is made to avoid stepping over someone, food, utensils and sacred books. It is much more polite to ask someone to move than to step over them.

Ger Etiquette

A customary greeting when approaching a ger is "Nokhoigo Khorioroi" ("Hold the dog") even you don't see dog. Fierce dogs are often the first to appear when one approaches a ger. Knocking on the door is considered rude. There is a taboo about stepping on the threshold of the ger. When entering a ger Mongolians open the door flap with their right hand, from the right side. Doing otherwise invites bad luck. Some of the customs and taboos associated with gers also apply to houses.

When entering a ger, visitors are supposed to go to the left and sit on the ground, a stool, or a bed. The host family sits on the right. The back wall is reserved for the Buddhist altar and family pictures. Inside a ger, you are expected to relax and make yourself at home. It is fine to take a nap if you want. If you spend the night, point your feet towards the door.

Don't touch or lean on the pillar, whistle, take food with your left hand, throw any trash in a fire, stand or sit in front or near the door, walk in front of an older person. Don't roll up your sleeves in a ger and can be seen as inviting to a fight. These things are considered disrespectful and anger the spirits. It is customary for the guest to inquire of the host about their health, the well-being of their family, the state of their livestock, and the quality of the grass for their herds.

Pipe Smoking and Passing the Snuffbox

Mongolians traditionally offer each other snuff from their snuffboxes. It is considered rude to decline such an offer. Passing the snuffbox is an old tradition in Mongolian culture, and is the most common exchange of amenities when people meet. When one is a guest in a Mongolian home, the host will take out his snuffbox, open it and pass it to the guest. Its contents generally being very aromatic and consisting of a blend of tobacco and herbs. It is expected to sniff a tobacco's aroma a little bit to better appreciate the snuffbox or put it under your nose to pretend it is sniffing. To be respectful, you should nod your head or give another sign of admiration. The snuffbox itself may be in any of several shapes, from the rectangular, square to the oval to the cylindrical, and with engravings whose artistry reveals the quality of the snuffbox. The snuffbox contains a small spoon made either of gold, silver, copper, ivory, or camel bone.

Mongolian Eating Customs

Mongolians don't eat with chopsticks. They generally use a spoon, fork or just their hands. Boiled meat is passed around in a large communal bowl with a knife. People slice off a piece of meat with the most fat.

After entering a ger, guests are offered tea with milk and salt (depending on the region) in a bowl, and a plate with various cheeses and bread or cookies. Visitors are expected to take at least one small piece or a sip of what is offered to them. To do otherwise is considered very rude.

Mongolian Drinking Customs

When offered a glass of vodka dip you finger into it and flick it once towards the sky and once towards to the ground and some on your forehead in honor of local spirits. If you don't want any vodka go through the same ritual, but put your finger to your forehead, say thanks and return the glass to the table.

Airag/khomis is usually spooned out of a large container and served in a large bowl. It is often cane be handed around in a communal bowl.

Religious Customs

Followers of Tibetan Buddhism walk around stupas, temples, sacred mountains or other objects of devotion in a clockwise direction one or an odd number times. Also, on top of the mountain or hill, there is a pile of large stones called Ovoo. You are expected to go around three times and adding new stones, praying for a safe journey and thanking local mountain spirit. In some Ovoos, you will find money, vodka bottles, hadag and skull of a horse. Don't take prayer flags or hadag. Do not remove any objects from an altar or Ovoo. Don't take photos during prayers and meditation. As a rule, don't take pictures without permission and don't use a flash. Don't wear shorts or short skirts or hats in temples or monasteries.

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Mongolian Customs & Etiquette | What to do or not to do in Mongolia

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Travellers' must know Do's & Don'ts. Show respects to Mongolian customs & etiquette and be aware of what to do or not to do before travel to Mongolia.

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Mongolian don't use chopstick while eating, but they only use spoon, fork or even their bare hand. In some circumstances, the boiled meat will be cooked and passed around in a big communal bowl. Not all the parts of the meat they will eat, for example, they slice out the part of a meat with the most fat. Another small manners is that when you entered a Ger, and the owner of the Ger offered you their traditional snacks, such as bread or cheese, you should at least take one or else it's rude to the owner. This is important to the culture as it keeps their tradition keeps going on, and more and more people should follow this and they can learn.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
Tours, Trips & Treks to Mongolia | Travel to Mongolia | Nomadic Journeys

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Mongolians are warm-hearted and sincere. They welcome strangers travelling to stay for the night in their ger and treat them to milk tea, food and airag/khomis. The guests are given a warm send-off by the hosts and prayed for their safe journey. Visitors have traditionally greeted warmly because, in the past, harsh travelling conditions made nomads rely on each other. Also, travellers were the main sources of news from the outside world. Here are some Mongolia's basic do's and don'ts.

Mongolian Greetings

Mongolians are comfortable shaking hands with Westerners as a greeting, and everyday greetings include "Sain bainu?" ("How are you?") and "Saixan namarjinuu?" ("Are you having a good autumn?"). In response to the first inquiry, you are expected to always answer in the positive: "Sain sain" ("I'm well"). Also, Mongolians when they are close they are comfortable giving each other hugs.

The traditional Mongolian greeting, especially in the countryside, is for a young person to hold out his arms, palms up, and grasp the older person just in front of the elbows. The older person does the same thing except with his palms down. This style of greeting is associated mostly with the Lunar New Year or when people meet for the first time in the new year. It usually is performed only by close relatives and friends. Also, the older person give traditional kiss by giving quick sniffing on forehead or both cheeks.

"Presenting the Hadag" is an essential welcoming gesture. Hadag is a strip of silk or cotton used as a greeting gift among both Tibetans and Mongolians. Mongolian hadag is sky blue, but shades like white and light yellow occur as well. When one is lucky enough to be presented a hadag, one should grasp it gently in both hands while bowing slightly. The giving/ receiving of hadag is an outward sign of mutual respect, something that is very important in Mongolian culture.

Mongolia Customs of Respect

To show respect when accepting something, use your right hand and hold right elbow with your left hand or use both hands together. Even if you are offered something, you don't want you are expected to accept it and, at the very least, pretend to try it. Refusal or pushing something away is a severe breach of etiquette.

Hats are important in Mongolian culture, so never wear one indoors, especially in a temple or ger. Never touch another person's hat, even if you are sliding it out of the way. It is also considered bad manners if you don't take off your gloves or coat when inside, especially when eating or drinking. To do so is to imply your host is not being hospitable by providing adequate warmth.

It is impolite to come out directly and ask for something like directions. Don't write a name with a red pen, don't point with an index finger at anyone, don't point with your feet, it is better to use your whole hand palms up to point at someone or something. If accidentally step on a foot, apologize profusely and shake their hand.

The head is considered the most sacred party of the body and the bottom of the feet is the dirtiest part of the body. One should not touch a person's head, place a hand on the back of a chair in which someone is sitting, put feet on tables or chairs. If you accidentally touch someone with your foot or touch their head, apologize profusely. A great effort is made to avoid stepping over someone, food, utensils and sacred books. It is much more polite to ask someone to move than to step over them.

Ger Etiquette

A customary greeting when approaching a ger is "Nokhoigo Khorioroi" ("Hold the dog") even you don't see dog. Fierce dogs are often the first to appear when one approaches a ger. Knocking on the door is considered rude. There is a taboo about stepping on the threshold of the ger. When entering a ger Mongolians open the door flap with their right hand, from the right side. Doing otherwise invites bad luck. Some of the customs and taboos associated with gers also apply to houses.

When entering a ger, visitors are supposed to go to the left and sit on the ground, a stool, or a bed. The host family sits on the right. The back wall is reserved for the Buddhist altar and family pictures. Inside a ger, you are expected to relax and make yourself at home. It is fine to take a nap if you want. If you spend the night, point your feet towards the door.

Don't touch or lean on the pillar, whistle, take food with your left hand, throw any trash in a fire, stand or sit in front or near the door, walk in front of an older person. Don't roll up your sleeves in a ger and can be seen as inviting to a fight. These things are considered disrespectful and anger the spirits. It is customary for the guest to inquire of the host about their health, the well-being of their family, the state of their livestock, and the quality of the grass for their herds.

Pipe Smoking and Passing the Snuffbox

Mongolians traditionally offer each other snuff from their snuffboxes. It is considered rude to decline such an offer. Passing the snuffbox is an old tradition in Mongolian culture, and is the most common exchange of amenities when people meet. When one is a guest in a Mongolian home, the host will take out his snuffbox, open it and pass it to the guest. Its contents generally being very aromatic and consisting of a blend of tobacco and herbs. It is expected to sniff a tobacco's aroma a little bit to better appreciate the snuffbox or put it under your nose to pretend it is sniffing. To be respectful, you should nod your head or give another sign of admiration. The snuffbox itself may be in any of several shapes, from the rectangular, square to the oval to the cylindrical, and with engravings whose artistry reveals the quality of the snuffbox. The snuffbox contains a small spoon made either of gold, silver, copper, ivory, or camel bone.

Mongolian Eating Customs

Mongolians don't eat with chopsticks. They generally use a spoon, fork or just their hands. Boiled meat is passed around in a large communal bowl with a knife. People slice off a piece of meat with the most fat.

After entering a ger, guests are offered tea with milk and salt (depending on the region) in a bowl, and a plate with various cheeses and bread or cookies. Visitors are expected to take at least one small piece or a sip of what is offered to them. To do otherwise is considered very rude.

Mongolian Drinking Customs

When offered a glass of vodka dip you finger into it and flick it once towards the sky and once towards to the ground and some on your forehead in honor of local spirits. If you don't want any vodka go through the same ritual, but put your finger to your forehead, say thanks and return the glass to the table.

Airag/khomis is usually spooned out of a large container and served in a large bowl. It is often cane be handed around in a communal bowl.

Religious Customs

Followers of Tibetan Buddhism walk around stupas, temples, sacred mountains or other objects of devotion in a clockwise direction one or an odd number times. Also, on top of the mountain or hill, there is a pile of large stones called Ovoo. You are expected to go around three times and adding new stones, praying for a safe journey and thanking local mountain spirit. In some Ovoos, you will find money, vodka bottles, hadag and skull of a horse. Don't take prayer flags or hadag. Do not remove any objects from an altar or Ovoo. Don't take photos during prayers and meditation. As a rule, don't take pictures without permission and don't use a flash. Don't wear shorts or short skirts or hats in temples or monasteries.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Mongolian Customs & Etiquette | What to do or not to do in Mongolia

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Travellers' must know Do's & Don'ts. Show respects to Mongolian customs & etiquette and be aware of what to do or not to do before travel to Mongolia.

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While you are visit Mongolia and staying in a Ger, there are some manners that you need to follow. The first one is when someone offered you something, even if you don't want the thing, you are expected to accept as it's a way of respecting the owner. Second is that when you get into a Ger you are expected to take of your gloves or coat especially while eating or drinking. Last but not least is that don't use a red pen to write your name or ask something about directions. These manners are important as when you go visit Mongolia, it can help you to respect their culture, as well as keeping it.

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Tours, Trips & Treks to Mongolia | Travel to Mongolia | Nomadic Journeys

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Mongolians are warm-hearted and sincere. They welcome strangers travelling to stay for the night in their ger and treat them to milk tea, food and airag/khomis. The guests are given a warm send-off by the hosts and prayed for their safe journey. Visitors have traditionally greeted warmly because, in the past, harsh travelling conditions made nomads rely on each other. Also, travellers were the main sources of news from the outside world. Here are some Mongolia's basic do's and don'ts.

Mongolian Greetings

Mongolians are comfortable shaking hands with Westerners as a greeting, and everyday greetings include "Sain bainu?" ("How are you?") and "Saixan namarjinuu?" ("Are you having a good autumn?"). In response to the first inquiry, you are expected to always answer in the positive: "Sain sain" ("I'm well"). Also, Mongolians when they are close they are comfortable giving each other hugs.

The traditional Mongolian greeting, especially in the countryside, is for a young person to hold out his arms, palms up, and grasp the older person just in front of the elbows. The older person does the same thing except with his palms down. This style of greeting is associated mostly with the Lunar New Year or when people meet for the first time in the new year. It usually is performed only by close relatives and friends. Also, the older person give traditional kiss by giving quick sniffing on forehead or both cheeks.

"Presenting the Hadag" is an essential welcoming gesture. Hadag is a strip of silk or cotton used as a greeting gift among both Tibetans and Mongolians. Mongolian hadag is sky blue, but shades like white and light yellow occur as well. When one is lucky enough to be presented a hadag, one should grasp it gently in both hands while bowing slightly. The giving/ receiving of hadag is an outward sign of mutual respect, something that is very important in Mongolian culture.

Mongolia Customs of Respect

To show respect when accepting something, use your right hand and hold right elbow with your left hand or use both hands together. Even if you are offered something, you don't want you are expected to accept it and, at the very least, pretend to try it. Refusal or pushing something away is a severe breach of etiquette.

Hats are important in Mongolian culture, so never wear one indoors, especially in a temple or ger. Never touch another person's hat, even if you are sliding it out of the way. It is also considered bad manners if you don't take off your gloves or coat when inside, especially when eating or drinking. To do so is to imply your host is not being hospitable by providing adequate warmth.

It is impolite to come out directly and ask for something like directions. Don't write a name with a red pen, don't point with an index finger at anyone, don't point with your feet, it is better to use your whole hand palms up to point at someone or something. If accidentally step on a foot, apologize profusely and shake their hand.

The head is considered the most sacred party of the body and the bottom of the feet is the dirtiest part of the body. One should not touch a person's head, place a hand on the back of a chair in which someone is sitting, put feet on tables or chairs. If you accidentally touch someone with your foot or touch their head, apologize profusely. A great effort is made to avoid stepping over someone, food, utensils and sacred books. It is much more polite to ask someone to move than to step over them.

Ger Etiquette

A customary greeting when approaching a ger is "Nokhoigo Khorioroi" ("Hold the dog") even you don't see dog. Fierce dogs are often the first to appear when one approaches a ger. Knocking on the door is considered rude. There is a taboo about stepping on the threshold of the ger. When entering a ger Mongolians open the door flap with their right hand, from the right side. Doing otherwise invites bad luck. Some of the customs and taboos associated with gers also apply to houses.

When entering a ger, visitors are supposed to go to the left and sit on the ground, a stool, or a bed. The host family sits on the right. The back wall is reserved for the Buddhist altar and family pictures. Inside a ger, you are expected to relax and make yourself at home. It is fine to take a nap if you want. If you spend the night, point your feet towards the door.

Don't touch or lean on the pillar, whistle, take food with your left hand, throw any trash in a fire, stand or sit in front or near the door, walk in front of an older person. Don't roll up your sleeves in a ger and can be seen as inviting to a fight. These things are considered disrespectful and anger the spirits. It is customary for the guest to inquire of the host about their health, the well-being of their family, the state of their livestock, and the quality of the grass for their herds.

Pipe Smoking and Passing the Snuffbox

Mongolians traditionally offer each other snuff from their snuffboxes. It is considered rude to decline such an offer. Passing the snuffbox is an old tradition in Mongolian culture, and is the most common exchange of amenities when people meet. When one is a guest in a Mongolian home, the host will take out his snuffbox, open it and pass it to the guest. Its contents generally being very aromatic and consisting of a blend of tobacco and herbs. It is expected to sniff a tobacco's aroma a little bit to better appreciate the snuffbox or put it under your nose to pretend it is sniffing. To be respectful, you should nod your head or give another sign of admiration. The snuffbox itself may be in any of several shapes, from the rectangular, square to the oval to the cylindrical, and with engravings whose artistry reveals the quality of the snuffbox. The snuffbox contains a small spoon made either of gold, silver, copper, ivory, or camel bone.

Mongolian Eating Customs

Mongolians don't eat with chopsticks. They generally use a spoon, fork or just their hands. Boiled meat is passed around in a large communal bowl with a knife. People slice off a piece of meat with the most fat.

After entering a ger, guests are offered tea with milk and salt (depending on the region) in a bowl, and a plate with various cheeses and bread or cookies. Visitors are expected to take at least one small piece or a sip of what is offered to them. To do otherwise is considered very rude.

Mongolian Drinking Customs

When offered a glass of vodka dip you finger into it and flick it once towards the sky and once towards to the ground and some on your forehead in honor of local spirits. If you don't want any vodka go through the same ritual, but put your finger to your forehead, say thanks and return the glass to the table.

Airag/khomis is usually spooned out of a large container and served in a large bowl. It is often cane be handed around in a communal bowl.

Religious Customs

Followers of Tibetan Buddhism walk around stupas, temples, sacred mountains or other objects of devotion in a clockwise direction one or an odd number times. Also, on top of the mountain or hill, there is a pile of large stones called Ovoo. You are expected to go around three times and adding new stones, praying for a safe journey and thanking local mountain spirit. In some Ovoos, you will find money, vodka bottles, hadag and skull of a horse. Don't take prayer flags or hadag. Do not remove any objects from an altar or Ovoo. Don't take photos during prayers and meditation. As a rule, don't take pictures without permission and don't use a flash. Don't wear shorts or short skirts or hats in temples or monasteries.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Mongolian Customs & Etiquette | What to do or not to do in Mongolia

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Travellers' must know Do's & Don'ts. Show respects to Mongolian customs & etiquette and be aware of what to do or not to do before travel to Mongolia.

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Horses are one of the most essential things in Mongolian culture. There are more than 4 million horses in Mongolia. The horses are a big part of Mongolia. Horses are used for fighting, traveling, hair, food, etc. The typical age for kids to start to learn how to ride a horse is three years old. Mongolian kids start to race horses at the age of 6. Horse racing is so popular that people from different countries participate in Mongolia. There are super long races and short races, depending on your preference. Mongolia is an excellent place for horse racing because of its vast green fields. This culture should be preserved because it is what people like doing all around the world, and according to Mongolians, horse riding gives them joy and pride.

More about Mongolia horse racing:

https://www.viewmongolia.com/mongolian-horse-race.html

More on what Mongolian horse racing is like:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFUb6YpbWx4

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Archery is one of the most popular sports in Mongolia. This sport is played during Naadam, and throughout the years, archery events have occurred in the archery arena. Like horse racing, kids start training in archery when they are young. Mongolian children begin shooting arrows on horses at the age of five. There are three kinds of Monglia archery: Khalka, Buriat, and Uriankhai. The bow used in the archery is mainly made of wood, and it takes about a year for the shape to be suitable for shooting. The arrow is primarily made with the bones of animals and food. The hair at the ends of the arrows is made with the feathers of the birds they kill. This culture should be preserved because of its importance in Mongolian culture. Using bows and arrows is one of the primary weapons that the Mongolians use when fighting. Archery is a big part of Mongolia, so it should be preserved.

More about the Mongolian sport archery:

https://www.viewmongolia.com/mongolian-archery.html

Mongolian archer interview:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmcZLuWjheI

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National wrestling - (interview & biography link below)

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National wrestling - (interview & biography link below)

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The National sport of wrestling, also called the Bökh, is mainly played during significant events like the Naadam festival. Mongolian wrestling's goal is getting your opponent to fall on their lower or upper body. The only parts that can touch the ground are your hands and feet. While playing this exciting sport, the wrestlers wear a half vest with the chest area removed. The colors of the outfit also have their symbols. The color symbolizes the national flag. The red color symbolizes progress and prosperity; the blue color symbolizes the eternal blue sky. A ritual before the fights, the fighters do a traditional dance to warm up and show the opponent their fighter spirit. Before the match started, the coach would take the wrestlers' hats off and let them fight. After the fight, the fighters will do another dance that shows that the fight has ended. After the dance, the loser would untie his vest and get under the winner's arms. This indicates that the loser accepts their loss against the winner, a form of respect in Mongolian culture. This culture should be preserved because of its exciting rituals, ability to show people strength, and a form of entertainment for many people.

More about Mongolia wrestling:

https://www.viewmongolia.com/mongolian-traditional-wrestling.html

Interview with Mongolian wrestler:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYuF4pj_dD0&t=58s

Famous Bokh legend biography: https://peoplepill.com/i/dolgorsuerengiin-sumiyaabazar

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Khuushuur - (video link below & text based file)

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Khuushuur - (video link below & text based file)

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The Khuushuur is a Mongolian dish that most Mongolians love. It's a meat-based food with little to no vegetables in it. This was created because before Mongolia had trading and shipping with other countries, they lacked fruits and vegetables. It was hard for a country that had short summers to farm, so they used what they got. What they have are livestock that give meat and dairy products. Some other ingredients they have are rice, flour, etc; these are foods that don't go bad that fast. People in Mongolia eat Khuushuurs almost every day. It is a fried pastry made with sheep meat. It is a culturally significant dish that is efficient and should be preserved. Mongolia has a lot of meat, but there aren't many vegetables. By preserving this dish, they can create food with the food they have plenty of and don't need to waste time and money to buy vegetables they don't have a lot of.

more about Khuushuur:

https://www.reachtheworld.org/monicas-journey-mongolia/food/importance-khuushuur

Recipe:

https://www.kitchencoup.com/mongolian-meat-pockets-khuushuur/

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The buzz is nutritious, easy to prepare, and carry around. The Buuz contains a dough created using just water and flour, a mixture of meat, onions, garlic, and seasoning of your will. That's how simple the ingredients are in this dish. These ingredients are easy to get for Mongolians because of the environment in Mongolia. There are a lot of animals there, but a limited supply of vegetables and fruits; this dish uses a lot of meat, giving people the nutrients people need by using ingredients that are easy to get from their country. Mongolians travel a lot, and food that can be easily prepared and carried is essential for survival. In Mongolian culture, the dish Buuz serves as a cultural identity during the Tsagaan Sar and many more Mongolian festivals, so this dish should be preserved.

More about Buzz:

https://eurasianet.org/the-dumpling-that-conquered-mongolia

Recipe:

https://allthatcooking.com/2013/05/11/buuz-mongolian-dumplings/

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The bansh is one of the beloved dishes that Mongolians eat a lot. This dish is mainly created using the livestock Mongolians herd, for example, the cow, sheep, horse, camel, and much more. This dish is similar to the Chinese dumplings, but the way the dough is prepared is very different. This dish is created using hard dough for the outer layer. The bansh can be cooked, fried, steamed, or boiled. In the dumplings' skin, Mongolias add onions, garlic, and other seasonings that will make the bash taste what it wants. This cultural dish should be preserved because it is nutritious and full of protein, and the ingredients are easy to find from where Mongolians live.

Recipe of the Mongolian dish Bansh: https://travelfoodatlas.com/mongolian-bansh-recipe

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Tsuivan is a traditional Mongolian dish of meat, vegetables, and noodles. In this noodle dish, the meat inside includes mainly beef, but sometimes people would change to goat meat depending on Mongolians' liking. The vegetables in this dish are carrots, some onions, and cabbage. The noodles for this dish are handmade by Mongolians. The seasoning and sauces are also handmade. This dish should be preserved because it has protein and vegetables that can give Mongolians who train and go out a lot of nutrients to last a whole day. Another reason this dish should be preserved is because the ingredients are all hand-created. The noodles are all handmade, one strand at a time. This takes a long time, so the time and effort put into this dish is why it should be preserved.

Recipe of Tsuivan:

https://roottoskykitchen.com/traditional-mongolian-tsuivan-food-of-the-nomads-paleo/

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This Mongolian dish is considered the Mongolian version of BBQ. This dish is created by using sheep, some mutton, potatoes, carrots, cabbage, and other ingredients you want to make it taste the way you like. The food is cooked with an open fire, and after a while, hot rocks are placed, and water is poured on the rocks. The steam would cook the food better. After the food is cooked, waiting about an hour before eating would make the food taste better. Pouring water on the rocks steam-cooks the contents, and the hour-plus wait makes the food all the more welcome when it's ready. According to some Mongolians, the food has a smoky flavor with some vegetable flavor. This traditional dish should be preserved because of the nutrients it gives by using ingredients that the Mongolians can easily access.

Khorkhog recipe:

https://www.196flavors.com/mongolia-khorkhog/

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The Bantan is a traditional Mongolian dish. It is a soup made with flour, onions, and some mutton. It is something that Mongolians eat when they are hungover because it gives people warmth in their bodies and is rich enough to feel good again. According to tourists who tasted this food, they all think it has an exciting taste to it; the flour balls that are in the soup make it feel like there are dumplings in there, the meat tastes good with the bone broth, and the onions give the overall taste some freshness. This culture should be preserved because of this dish's ability to make people feel better, provide enough nutrition, and keep people's bodies warm during the harsh cold winters.

Video on how this dish is prepared:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=AXQxKkXW2GQ

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Horses are one of the most important essentials in Mongolian life. In Mongolia, there are more than 5 million horses; that's almost twice the population of Mongolia. Kids in Mongolia need to learn how to ride a horse when they turn 3 to 5 years old, and most kids start racing at around 6 years old. From these facts, we can see Mongolians are serious about horses. These Mongolian horses are capable of living under just a little water and some grains and still have endurance. These horses are used not only for traveling but also for milk, meat, and hair. This culture should be preserved because Mongolian horses are so important to Mongolians in their daily life.

More on Mongolian horses:

https://www.mongolian-ways.com/travel-blog/mongolian-horse-culture#:~:text=Today%2C%20outside%20its%20capital%20Ulaanbaatar,alcoholic%20beverage%20known%20as%20Airag.

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The two-humped camel is one of the main transport Mongolians use to travel through deserts. The Camels are used because of their capability to carry heavy loads for moving or trading while traveling as fast as horses through arid places. Mongolians also use camels for traveling because they can live without food and water for a long period of time and still move and carry all the things Mongolians want them to carry. This is a culture that should be preserved because it is an essential part of Mongolia's culture; it is what Mongolians use to travel through deserts.

More about Mongolia camels:

http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/mongols/pastoral/pastoral5.htm#:~:text=The%20Bactrian%20or%20two%2Dhumped,carry%20goods%20designed%20for%20trade.

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Mongolian yaks are a massive part of Mongolians' everyday life. Mongolians use yaks for their meat, milk, hair, and, most importantly, their ability to travel. The hair of the yaks is one of the most critical parts of the yak that Mongolians want. This hair is good from an economic standpoint, but it is also a perfect way for Mongolians to stay warm during the harsh cold winters that last a long time in Mongolia. Yaks often carry a cart behind them so the Mongolians can put their belongings in it and travel long distances in the grasslands. Traveling with yaks isn't as efficient as cars, but because there is a good source of clothing, materials, and food, Mongolians prefer using them. The culture of transporting using yaks is a culture that should be preserved because yaks have many benefits when used to carry stuff. First, it can carry many heavy things, and when the Mongolians need food, the yaks can be a source of meat and milk. Traveling with cars would make the environment worse, so this culture is worth preserving.

More about Mongolian yaks:

https://www.viewmongolia.com/mongolia-yak-festival.html#:~:text=The%20yaks%20were%20domesticated%20relatively,influences%20the%20animal's%20strong%20characters.&text=Yaks%20play%20an%20important%20role,are%20made%20of%20yak%20milk.

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Khovsgol Ice Festival - (text based file)

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Khovsgol Ice Festival - (text based file)

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The Khovsgol Ice Festival is celebrated on Lake Khovsgol's surface when the lake is frozen. During the festival, some activities include ice skating, horse sledding, ice sculpture competitions, fishing, and many more fun activities. This event is a time for cultural exchanges with other countries. It also brings these people joy before the rough winter weather freezes most of their animals to death. This festival should be preserved because of its ability to bring everyone together and enjoy the weather in their country.

More details on the ice festival:

https://www.travelbeginsat40.com/event/khovsgol-ice-festival-mongolia/

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The Mongolian Eagle Festival is an annual event in which Mongolians celebrate the practice of eagle hunting. Some activities during the festival include eagle hunting, parades, Kukbar, and other rituals. This activity serves as a platform for eagle hunters to showcase their talents and skills while competing with each other. This traditional event should be preserved because it is what attracts tourists who are interested in the hobby of eagle hunting. ItsIt is also when the culture of eagle hunting can be widely spread worldwide.

More on the eagle festival:

https://www.responsibletravel.com/holidays/mongolia/travel-guide/mongolias-golden-eagle-festivals#:~:text=The%20Golden%20Eagle%20Festivals&text=It%20has%20taken%20place%20in,and%20Mongolian%20and%20foreign%20tourists.

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Lamaseries are temples dedicated to Buddhism. The lamaseries are where Mongolian people worship their gods and where people connect. Most Mongolians follow the Tibetan Buddhism that Altan Khan spread into Mongolia during the 16th century. These architectural pieces have Buddhists outside and inside the temple, exciting carvings, and many religious symbols. These temples are mostly grouped during big religious festivals. This is when the temple starts doing rituals, dances, and other activities relating to the Buddhist culture. The culture of the Lamaseries' architecture should be preserved because it's where the Mongolians worship and practice their religions.

More about the lamaseries of Mongolia: https://www.visitourchina.com/baotou/attraction/meidaizhao-lamasery.html

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The Mongolian traditional clothing Deel is a robe mostly made out of leather. It is designed so it's easy for Mongolians to ride horses and camels. Not only that, but it is also designed so that it keeps people warm inside during challenging climates. This interesting robe is created for both males and females to wear. Women usually wear the colors blue, green, pink, etc. Mongolians mostly wear this robe with a hat, a vest, a belt, and boots to feel warm during the cold seasons that people in Mongolia face. The robe also serves as a way to show their region, social status, and much more. There are a lot of designs with different colors and patterns that convey different messages different tribes wear. This kind of clothing culture should be preserved because of its unique features that all have their functions. The convenience of these robes is why the Mongolians should preserve this unique clothing culture.

More about the Deel:

https://www.escapetomongolia.com/blog/mongolian-clothing#:~:text=The%20Mongolian%20Deel%3A%20A%20Versatile,a

https://www.discovermongolia.mn/about-mongolia/culture-art-history/mongolian-traditional-clothes#:~:text=In%20ancient%20times%20it%20symbolized,sewn%20from%20six%20separate%20pieces.

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The Toortsog hats are traditional hats that people wear every day. Apart from wearing a Deel, people also wear a Toortsog hat. Before, the hats were a symbol showing enemies that they were capable of frightening them. But now, this hat has a huge variety; different hats have their own shape and different purposes. For example, there are hats for both men and women, for old people and for younglings, for the cold winters, for summer, for different festivals, for everyday use, for different social classes, and hats for different tribes. These unique hats all have their own symbols; there are different colors and symbols on the hat to show what Mongolians want to express. During different seasons, hats were made with different materials. There is a rule that women who are married can't wear these hats. This culture of wearing the Toortsog hat should be preserved because it helps people express themself and also helps Mongolians stay warm in the head area during cold winters that last a long time.

More about the Mongolian Toortsog hats: https://www.discovermongolia.mn/about-mongolia/culture-art-history/mongolian-traditional-clothes#:~:text=In%20ancient%20times%20it%20symbolized,sewn%20from%20six%20separate%20pieces.

https://www.escapetomongolia.com/blog/mongolian-clothing#:~:text=The%20Mongolian%20Deel%3A%20A%20Versatile,a

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The traditional drink airag is fermented mare milk. The Mongolian women collect the milk during the summer, and the horses are milked up to eight to nine times a day. Most of the milk from the horses is fermented for a while, and the fermenting makes the horse milk into alcoholic drinks the airag. Because this drink is so good, this alcohol drink is drank so much it causes Mongolians to have a high alcohol problem. The drink airag is mostly drunk during the Naadam events and summer. There is a tradition that you receive this drink with your right hand and have your left hand hold your right elbow. This is a way of showing respect to the people serving you the driThisthis traditional drink culture should be preserved because horse milk is so convenient to almost all Mongolians have more than one horse, and because of the large number of horses, horse milk is easy to access. The drink is nutritious because of the horse milk and is suitable for celebrating critical cultural events.

More about the drink airag: https://www.mongolfood.info/en/recipes/airag.html#:~:text=Mare's%20milk%20is%20usually%20not,%2C%20ethanol%2C%20and%20carbon%20dioxide.

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milk vodka - (video link & text based file)

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milk vodka - (video link & text based file)

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The Mongolian vodka is a drink that most Mongolians love and drink a lot. The milk vodka from Mongolian is much more beneficial to people's health than the regular vodka made with wheat. The milk vodka is created using dairy products. This drink is mainly served as a warm drink. Milk vodka can help people's stomachs process food better, heal scurvy problems, and help with back pain. This drink has been around in Mongolian culture for a long time. It should be preserved because it's a drink that is both delicious and beneficial to the human body.

Process of making milk vodka + recipe:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kMBXufLm0Q

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The Suutei Tsai is a Mongolian drink consumed almost every day, and every time you visit someone's yurt, you will be greeted with a cup. You must take it with your right hand and drink it before putting it on the table. The milk in this dring is cow milk, mixed with water and tea leaves to add flavor. According to some tourists, the taste of this drink is profoundly savory and has an acquired taste. It might taste exciting and unique at first, but people will get used to it and start to like it over time. This culture of drinking Suutei Tsai and doing this routine should be preserved because it is a way of being friendly and showing respect to others when visiting them.

More about the Suutei Tsai:

https://juddsinmongolia.com/2020/09/07/suutei-tsai/

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The Mongolian knucklebone shooting is a game that Mongolians play using certain livestock bones. This team-based game aims to shoot a marble tablet on a wooden surface to the target of sheet knuckle bones. The players sing while playing the game. Different players have their costumes they wear. And they have different shooting tools to show their ranks. This game helps make people closer, brings people together, and makes people from different backgrounds come closer and show respect to each other. This culture of playing the knucklebone shooting should be preserved because it brings people together and helps people respect others.

More about knucklebone shooting:

https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/mongolian-knuckle-bone-shooting-00959

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Sea-buckthorn juice is one of the most liked juices in Mongolia, regardless of the drink's temperature. This juice is created by boiling sea buckthorn fruits and adding water. These fruits are full of vitamin C and naturally grown in the West of Mongolia. These berries are unique; they don't need a specific climate to grow; they can grow in any inhospitable weather. This berry's high vitamin C helps people improve their blood pressure. The berries are easy to get your hands on in Mongolian, so I believe this special drink should be preserved as a part of Mongolian culture.

More about the sea-buckthorn juice:

https://www.goyotravel.com/mongolian-nomadic-drinks/#:~:text=Sea%20Buckthorn%20juice%20is%20%E2%80%9Cliquid,grows%20in%20almost%20inhospitable%20conditions.

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The Gutal is one of the most essential parts of a Mongolian outfit. The Gutal boots can be worn long in challenging outdoor environments. The Gutals are both durable and protective to the Mongolian feet. These Gutals are mostly made out of leather from cows, yaks, or even sheep. The Gutals aren't just any regular boots; they have designs like upturned upturned-toes for protection from cold, a thick bottom layer for sturdiness, and much more. On the shoes, colorful symbols and patterns show people's artistic styles. The Gutals have multiple uses; for example, people wear different Gutals on different occasions. This culture of wearing these boots should be preserved because it is a big part of Mongolians' cultural identity, where the shoes both protect people's feet and help people express themselves.

More about the Mongolian Gutals: https://www.mongolianz.com/post/2018/06/21/exotic-mongolian-boots-gutals/

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The Kaleidoscope Museum Project is a project that aims to preserve Mongolia's unique culture by spreading awareness using the Padlet, which is accessible to everyone. I am an online contributor, and this urgent issue should be spread globally to raise awareness of the adverse effects of globalization. Cultural imperialism is making countries lose their culture, replacing them with the cultures of dominant countries. Cultures are going extinct; having a world culture would lack diversity, which we don't want. This project raises awareness of this urgent issue and tries to make a difference.

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Classical Mongolian (Old Uyghur Script) - (text based file)

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Classical Mongolian (Old Uyghur Script) - (text based file)

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Classical Mongolian was used from the early 13th century to the 17th century. This language was written using the old Uighur script for education, religon, and much more. This language was used during the Mongol empire; it was the language most people then used to communicate. This culture should not be forgotten and should be preserved because of its impact on Mongolia.

more about this language: https://referenceworks.brillonline.com/entries/encyclopedia-of-turkic-languages-and-linguistics-online/old-uyghur-script-SIM_032216

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Classical Mongolian (Mongolian Script) - (text based file)

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Classical Mongolian (Mongolian Script) - (text based file)

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The Classical Mongolian Mongolian script, also known as the Qudum Mongγol bičig, is a script from the 13th century. The influence of this script is so huge that it is still used for writing, education, and much more right now; we can see the influence from the modern Mongolian language. This script was used for many essential texts, such as religious texts, historical records, and more. The influence of this script is so huge that this culture should be preserved.

More about the classical Mongolian Mongolian script:

https://celt.indiana.edu/portal/Mongolian/classical.html

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The Khalkha Mongolian has been one of the most used languages in Mongolia over the last few centuries. This language is the official language of Mongolia; it is used for everyday communications, education, literature, and much more. This language is used in most things in Mongolia. This language has been used for a long time, and this culture should be preserved because of its influence. Because so many people speak it as their native language, abandoning it would be uneasy.

more about the Khalkha Mongolian: https://berkeley.pressbooks.pub/languagesofberkeley/chapter/mongolian-cyrillic-khalkha/

Text file:

https://www.eki.ee/knab/lat/kblcmg2.pdf

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The University Library, University of California, Berkeley

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Mongolian Cyrillic (Khalkha) – The Languages of Berkeley: An Online Exhibition

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The expansion of the Russian Empire’s frontiers toward Manchu China meant interactions with several different Mongolic language groups that inhabit Siberia and the Far East, including Buryat and Oirat variants. The official Khalka dialect is prominent in the Republic of Mongolia. The 19th-century digitized book presented here is one of the earliest dictionaries of Mongolian language that was published by the Imperial Academy of Sciences in Saint Petersburg. We are highlighting this specific dictionary in consultation with the faculty members that teach and conduct their research in Mongolian. The scripts of the Mongolian language have evolved over the long history of the Mongols. Due to the Sovietization of Outer Mongolia, the alphabet was changed to Cyrillic characters (Khalkha) while the Inner Mongolia of the People’s Republic of China continued to use a variant of the traditional script which is called Uyghur-Mongolian.

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The Russian language has been spread into Mongolia because the two countries are close. Through trading, selling, and more, Mongolians started to learn Russian; after learning for a bit, they became fluent, and now, it is one of the most widely used and taught foreign languages in Mongolia. Russia has been a big part of Mongolia's success and development through economic and cultural exchanges. Many Mongolians now can speak Russian as their second language, and because of Russia's impact on Mongolia, preserving this language culture is an excellent way of helping Mongolia develop.

More about the Russian language in Mongolia:

https://kealakai.byuh.edu/russian-alphabet-is-less-complex-but-traditional-mongolian-script-truly-represents-mongolians-according-to-mongolian-students