ABOUT MONGOLIA
Mongolia is truly one of the world's last undiscovered travel destinations and the safest country to visit. It is a land where you can experience wide-open spaces, cobalt blue skies, forests, deserts, crystal clear rivers and lakes, and the traditional hospitality of the nomads. Permanent dwellings are few and far between, fences even fewer and the land is owned by the people, like one large National Park. As a tremendous destination to experience the outdoors, Mongolia also boasts of unique history dating back to the Mongol Empire of Genghis Khan. Simply put, it is a land of adventure, horses, nomads, and blue sky.
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Mongolian Naadam FestivalJul 11-13
Naadam Festival is the only one of its kind; it is a sophisticated and eloquent expression of nomadic culture, it is the honored celebration of a national independence, and it is an outstanding combination of arts and sports. Even, the core of the festival – three manly sports – the wrestling, horseracing and archery, embrace many elements of arts, such as singing, dancing and performing
Golden Eagle FestivalOct 3-5At Mongolia’s Winter Golden Eagle Festival, ethnic Kazakhs show off the breathtaking skills of their trained hunting eagles, alongside cultural displays of Kazakh traditional costumes, handicrafts and food.
Two Thousand Reindeer FestivalAug 20The annual Reindeer Festival is focused on enhancing tourism in Khuvsgul Province by promoting reindeer culture internationally. The festival will be organized for the 16th year with the purpose to publicizing the unique lifestyle, culture and customs of the Dukha people living in northern region of Khuvsgul Province in hopes of improving their livelihoods via tourism incomes of the locals. The event features q reindeer race and many interesting activities such as demonstration of reindeer herders’ camp, reindeer riding, mini Naadam
Blue Pearl Ice FestivalFeb 2-6Lake Khuvsgul is called the Blue Pearl of Mongolia for its pristine water and it is one of the 17 ancient lakes in the world. The ice festival is a two day annual event in March that involves the reindeer herders (Tsaatan) from the north, join local residents to celebrate Ice Festival with traditional games and races such as Sumo on ice, ice ger building, ice skating and sleigh rides and enjoy the display of ice sculptures
Nomadic Mongolians ShowAug 3, 14, 28The Show demonstrates a traditional living way of Mongolian nomads and it takes place from mid of May to end of October. Mongolia is a homeland of ancient nomads and still now they have been breeding the five main types of stocks and migrating from place to place searching most favorable pastures through their vast Mongolian steppes.
Kazakh's Nauryz (Spring /New Life) FestivalMar 22Nauryz is a very important holiday for Kazakhs, which marks the beginning of a new year. It is celebrated several days starting from 21st of March, the day of the spring equinox. Nauryz means ‘new day’, it is celebrated in the Great Steppes from ancient times. Nauryz symbolizes goodness and wealth, happiness and love and a great friendship day, since this holiday is common for many nations. During Nauryz celebrations, past offences are forgiven and forgotten and everybody makes a wish to leave all badness behind and bring renewal in the New Year.
Mongolian Yak FestivalJul 23The Yaks Festival is one of the most important festivals in Mongolia. It’s annually held on July 23rd in Orkhon Valley (Bat Ulzii Sum) located in Ovorkhangai Province. The Yak Festival aims to attract more domestic and foreign tourists by promoting Mongolia’s yak culture. The two-day event will include a session about the sustainable development of yak farming, a yak parade, yak racing and a fashion show featuring yak wool clothes. The yak has a great value for nomadic breeders, as the animal has many uses and plays a necessary role in the development of a farm – hence – the festival highlights the significance of this domesticated animal.
Mongolian National Costume FestivalNov 15The Mongolian Government has decided to mark a new festival – National Costume Day on 9 July every year. The decision aims to expand the annual traditional festival of ‘Deeltei Mongol’ or "Mongolians in Deels" which is held the day before the Naadam Festival starts in July. The decision aims to encourage the younger generation to wear traditional clothing and create more jobs; it is also part of the government’s effort to promote the development of the country’s tourism sector.
Mongolian Lunar New Year /Happy Tsagaan Sar/Feb 14-18The Mongolian Lunar New Year, commonly known as Tsagaan Sar (White Moon), is the first day of the year according to the Mongolian lunisolar calendar. The festival of the Lunar New Year is celebrated by the Mongols and some Turkic peoples. The holiday has shamanistic influences. The customs of Tsagaan Sar are significantly different depending on the region. In Mongolia around the New Year for example, families burn candles at the altar symbolizing Buddhist enlightenment. Also people greet each other with holiday-specific greetings such as Амар байна уу? (Amar baina uu?), meaning "Are you living peacefully?".
Mongolian Ten Thousand Camel FestivalMar 5-8"Thousand Camel Festival" is already one of the most famous winter festivals in the world organized by a local non-governmental organization working to protect and preserve the Bactrian camel population, which has been steadily declining over the past twelve years. This thrilling festival was first initiated in 1997 by the locals of Omnogovi (South Gobi) to celebrate Mongolian camels and protect the species and pass the rich Mongolian camel breeding heritage to the next generation. Nomads from far and near wear their best traditional costume and ride their best camels to attend the festival. Highlights of the festival include camel races, performances by traditional Mongolian musicians and dancers and there will be a parade of 1000 camel riders for the Guinness World Record Book during the festival!