Festival Programs: (Mongolians in Deel 2016)

• 18:00- 19:00 Opening Ceremony
• 19:00- 20:00 Parade of participants dressed in national costumes
• 20:00- 21:00 Ceremony of the Nine White Banners
• 22:00- 23:00  “Three Dramatic Characters” Opera

Other programs:

• Mongolian Costume National runway
• Cultural performance
• Contest of best dressed couple (in Mongolian national costume)
• Contest of best dressed foreigner  (in Mongolian national costume)
• Contest of public dance and Best Dancing Couple
• Closing ceremony-Award ceremony (Most actively participated organizations, most actively participated and well organized district )

During the festival many other cultural events such as exhibitions of national dress, souvenir and other cultural promotion are organized. 

Programs:

• Flight from Ulaanbaatar to Umnugobi aimag. Trip to Moltsog Sand dune, Bayanzag (Flaming Cliffs)
• Explore the lifestyle of Mongolian Nomads
• Marathon.  Award ceremony for the winners, closing ceremony, gala dinner 
• Flight back to Ulaanbaatar from Dalanzadgad

Marathon distance: 10km, 21km, 42km

Annual Golden Eagle Festival has been the largest gathering of eagle hunters and their eagles in the world since it started in 1999 with 70 eagle hunters participating in this event. It is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Cultural Event. Bayan-Ulgii province is the highest Altai mountain range of Mongolia, where Mongolian one of the minority group Kazakh people live nearby. Each year Kazakh hunters from near and far attend the festival with their strongest Golden Eagles, known as Berkut, to compete by testing speed, agility, and accuracy.

Programs:

• Start of the festival with display of eagles and hunters and demonstrating their talents
• The eagle catching fox skin dragged behind a horse, returning to their owner from a distance on command
• Camel race
• Kazakh games of Tiyn Teru (a race to pick up a coin on the ground while on horseback)
• Kyz Kuar (“girl chase,” a man and woman race on horseback while the woman whips the man)
• Kukbar (tug of war over a goat carcass while on horseback)
• Concert of traditional Kazakh music at the theater
• Awards to the winners of each contest, for best dressed man, woman, and child
• Live hunt of a fox or cub wolf by the winning eagle
• Traditional Kazakh craft work and foods
• Dance performances, a parade in the provincial capital’s city square, and a Kazakh play in honor of the hunters and their eagles
• Visiting the local History Museum, craftwork, and a Kazakh family to experience the their lifestyle, traditions
• Visiting a local mosque and the town market

Programs:

• Stake race of foal horses
• Ambler horses demonstration
• Lassoing a horse
• Grabbing a lasso pole from land on top a running horse
• Horse bucking
• "Guutei ailiin guzeetei huu" Airag (fermented milk of mares) drinking competition
• "Do you know Dembee" airag drinking game
• "Aravdakh" Ten fingers game
• Lassoing a horse from top of a running horse
• Traditional ankle bones horse racing game (participating tourists)
•  Gathering up the ankle bones game (participating tourists)
• Mongolian handwork exhibition (bridle, rein, saddle and lasso pole etc)
• Auction of foal horses with fast ancestry 

Mongol Nomadic camp organizes a mini version of Naadam Festival for the tourist of season of 2017. The event offers of authentic experience and atmosphere of Mongolian Naadam, assure the organizers. Mongolian Naadam Festival consists of the Three Manly Games of the Mongols, namely, wrestling, archery, horse racing that nomads of Mongolia have practiced thousands of years. The Naadam is one of the 10 biggest festivals in the world along with Brazil’s Carnival, and India’s Diwali.

According to organizers, from the moment that visitors set foot at the arena they will see and feel the Naadam, there will be traditional Mongolian “asar” tents set, Mongolian music played, and traditionally dressed locals everywhere as well as the Naadam competitors: wrestlers, archers, horse trainers and jockeys with their horses. All visitors will be greeted and welcomed to the arena to join the Naadam.

The event will begin with Mongolian long song & horse head fiddle performance as a tradition. Then 16 strong wrestlers will compete in the 1st round of wrestling competition, followed by the archery competition and afterwards a musical performance of a local artists (Mongolian dances and song)

Archers will perform archery showcase and spectators are welcome to try. Also a group of locals will perform traditions of moving with a Ger etc loaded on a yak cart, and they will join the Naadam later too. Horse racing will follow soon after the little jockeys sing Giingoo – a special song/blessing echo for racing horses.

The winners of the competitions will be awarded with sheep and other traditional gifts of nomads. And visitors have the opportunity to meet the competitors and take photos. Visitors also can make bets on the race horse and wrestlers.

• When: The Nomadic Naadam will be held on the following dates at 02-04 pm
• Where: Mongol Nomadic camp (50 km from Ulaanbaatar to the west).
• Entrance fee: 36 USD per person
• Transportation: Shuttle bus with Nomadic Naadam sign will depart from Sapporo shopping center on the Naadam days.
• For more information, please contact the organizers at +976-99089730 & +976-99118573

Email: [email protected]

It is a centuries-old celebration and one steeped in the Buddhist religion, though most Mongolians of all beliefs observe the day in some fashion. The main celebrations last for three days, from the day before to the day after the new moon, but some keep up the festivities for as long as two weeks. Tsagaan Sar comes in January or February, the date varying from year to year. The reason for this is that Mongolia uses a combination solar-lunar calendar, which keeps Tsagaan Sar firmly in mid-winter.

In “Mongolian New Year’s Eve”, there are a number of rituals that Mongolians perform in order to bring good luck for the year to come. First, houses must be cleaned out thoroughly, which is often a day-long task. Candles are lit to symbolize enlightenment and to give light to any spirits who have “become Buddha” that might visit. Three chunks of ice are also left just outside the door, since the horse of Palden Lhamo, a Buddhist deity, visits every home on New Year’s Eve and will be thirsty. Finally, a family dinner is enjoyed in the evening, card games are played in the hopes of beginning a year-long good luck streak, debts are paid off, and grudges are forgiven.

On Lunar New Year itself, people visit their relatives, beginning with their parents and continuing in order of descending age. They make many short visits to dozens of relatives. Each time, special rituals are followed. The guests must ask the hostess, “Are you living in Peace?” The hostess kisses the guest’s cheeks, gives out a gift of money or vodka, and serves milk tea. Gifts may also be exchanged.

Some activities that tourist may wish to take part while in Mongolia for Lunar New Year:

Watch Mongolian wrestling competitions on TV, like many Mongolians do in their New Year’s Eve. In Mongolian folk wrestling, called “bukh,” the first person whose body touches the ground, other than the foot, loses. From the days of Chinggis khaan, wrestling of this sort has been an integral part of Mongolian culture. Eat “Lunar New Year food,” including: “buuz” – a steamed dumpling – special cookies that are stacked in a pyramid, rice mixed with curds or raisins, sheep’s tail, horse meat, pastries filled with minced mutton, and a full side of sheep on the grill. 

Buy and dress up in traditional nomadic clothes, called “deel,” which almost everyone wears this time of year. It is a large coat that overlaps in front to reach buttons on your shoulder and your side. Colourful designs are stitched on, and a long cloth belt is used. It is also customary to wear a fur hat and leather boots with curly toes with your deel.

Lunar New Year is a time when Mongolians celebrate in the midst of a cold, long winter, looking forward to the spring. It is also a time when tourists learn and enjoy many interesting facets of Mongolian culture.

Nomads winter - Tsagaan sar festival’s programs:

Tsagaan Sar’s Eve - Bituun’s day

• Arrive at the “Mongolian Secret History” travel complex
• Tea and coffee
• Visit the Ger library to learn about Mongolian literature, heritage and culture
• Visit to the statue of Shaman, “Tev Tenger”, listen stories about the fascinating customs of ancient shamanism and enter to the urts, shaman wigwam.
• Taste the Mongolian milk vodka
• Enjoy skiing
• Lunch
• Play Mongolian folk games (Learn how to play with anklebones and compete in the following, exciting games such as Mongolian puzzle game, Alag Melkhi or multicolored turtle, catching anklebones, anklebones horse racing, anklebones flicking etc)
• Visit a true nomadic, local herder’s family and help, experience in preparing traditional food buuz, bansh (Mongolian dumplings) which are Bituun’s main meal.
• Take a part in preparation of the Tsagaan Sar’s table dish and complete Bituun’s custom
• Dinner
• Traditional folk music performance
• Mongolian national costume show

The first day of the Tsagaan sar

• Before sunrise you will walk your first steps of the New Year as prescribed by Mongolian traditional beliefs. Each person has a different ritual to perform depending on their birth year and month.
• Breakfast
• Look at the first sunshine of the New Year from the top of  a mountain, the ovoo
• Offer the best to the heaven of  mountains and rivers
• Visit a local herder’s family on the first day of the Lunar New Year
• learn traditional Mongolian new year greeting customs and experience it
• Have traditional dish
• Help to herd livestocks in nomadic ways
• Archery performance
• Photos with camel and horse riding
• Enjoy horse racing
• Lunch
• Photos in traditional costumes of the ancient warriors, queens and shaman
• Learn traditional Mongolian dances “Zadgai tsagaan”, “Khumuun turlukhtun”
• Dinner
• Enjoy a documentary movie about Mongolian people’s daily life and culture

The second day of the Tsagaan Sar

• Breakfast
• Price: 60 USD= 116.280 MNT per person (the price might change every year and includes breakfast, excludes transport to and from the complex, accommodation and meals. Possible to car service)

We hope that you enjoy our Lunar New Year!

Website: http://www.mongoliansecrethistory.mn

The Naadam Festival is a highly anticipated event and one of the most interesting national holidays, having been celebrated for centuries. This year’s National Naadam Festival will kick off the official opening ceremony held on July 11.The festival has its roots in the nomad wedding assemblies and hunting extravaganzas of the Mongol Army. The opening ceremony features marches and music from soldiers, monks and athletes before the real fun begins! In the Naadam Stadium, the three sporting passions of Mongolians, horse racing, wrestling and archery, are played out over 2 days.

Wrestling: At the start of competition all the wrestlers with the higher title - holder in front , enter the hall in a line wearing gutuls (decorated Mongolian boots.) and hats and their wrestling costumes called "zodog"(an open fronted, long sleeves vest of silk) and “shuudag” (tight short trunks ). There are many different titles for the wrestlers such as Titan (avarga), Lion (arslan), Zaan (Elephant) and Nachin (Falcon). All the names signify strength. Titles are mostly confirmed during the national festival Naadam. A wrestler who wins five fights in succession one competition has the right to have the title of Falcon, and if he wins seven fights in succession Elephant. When a wrestler wins all the fights in a competition during one of these festivals he will be a Lion. If he wins a subsequent year he merits the title of titan, the highest rank. There is a variety of throws used to defeat opponents.

When a wrestler touches the ground with any part of his body other than his feet and arms, he is considered to be defeat. The main difference between Mongolian national wrestling and international free wrestling is that the weight category of wrestlers is not taken into the consideration.

Archery: Third element of the national games is archery. Five lines engraved on an ancient Mongolian target immortalize the phenomenal record of Yesuhei-baatar, saying that his arrow hit the target at a distance of 536 m. The bow is an ancient invention going back to the Mesolithic Period. Ancient Mongolians made their contribution to the design of the bow as a combat weapon.

Today Mongolian's use less complicated form archery than in ancient time; the target is 'wall' made of cork cylinders braided together with leader straps. Mongols are almost born with the archery skills, an integral part of nomad’s lifestyle. From the very childhood such qualities as perfect eyesight, measurement, patience and strength are nourished to develop a good archer. Mongolian bows are very tight ones, so that it requires a pure strength to stretch it out. As a rule, several teams of archers compete. Each team of 5-7 archers should hit 33 leather cylinders from a distance of 75 m for men and 60 m for women.

Horse racing: Mongolian people have loved horse racing since time immemorial. A whole system for conducting the contests has developed over the centuries. In the racing held during national festivals, including Naadam, participants are six age groups and the distances range from 15-30 km. No special tracks are prepared, the horses covering the distance in the steppe and jumping over natural barriers. Before they start the riders sing an ancient war-like song -Giingoo. The competitors start at the finishing line and at the signal to start and back to the finish line. Thus the distance is actually doubled. The horse racing can be held on saddled or unsaddled horses. Horses of two years older take part. The winner is honored with a cup of airag which he drinks and sprinkles on the head and croup of his horse. After the races, praise-singer extols the best riders and their horses.

Tips for tourists:

• During the festival in Ulaanbaatar city, the stadium is quite crowded so get there before about one and half hour
• Archery and anklebone shooting are organized outside of the stadium
• Buy tickets of the Festival from “Mongolian Tourism Association” or “Naadam Commission”
• Horse racing place is about 40km from the city center, place called “Hui Doloon Hudag”

Programs:

1st Day:

• Opening ceremony of the festival
• Competitions among the nomadic herders
• “City guys” fun competition among tourists (contest of best team assembling Ger)
• “Steppe Melodies” folk music competition among the local nomadic groups

2nd Day:

• “Mongolian Smile” contest of the best Mongolian National Dressed couple
• “Shuvuun Saaral” Mini naadam 
• Awarding ceremony
• Closing Gala Dinner

Programs:

1st Day:

• Welcoming tourists from UB-Murun at airport
• Drive to “Dalai Tour” tourist camp
• Dinner

2nd Day:

• 08:00 Breakfast
• 10:00 Opening art ceremony of the Tsaatan (reindeer herder) Festival (At “Dalai tour” tourist camp, “Khuvsgul- Mongolian Northern Honored Part” fair of Fine Arts and handcrafts demonstrating features of Khuvsgul aimag’s geography, reindeer’s people’ lifestyle and reindeers)
• 11:00 Visit reindeer herder’s camp and explore their lifestyle, Reindeers racing, Horse, reindeer riding and oxcart trip
• 13:00 Lunch
• 15:30 Mini Naadam- National Wrestling (32 wrestlers)
• 16:00 Reindeer polo (participating tourists)
• 17:30 Leisure travel on the shore of Khuvsgul Lake
• 19:00 Dinner
• 21:00 Fireworks, Shaman ritual and evening show

3rd Day:

• 05:00 Watch morning sunrise on the shore of Khuvsgul Lake
• 08:00 Breakfast
• 10:00 “Taiga Melody” cultural concert
• 11:30 journey on motor boat in the Lake
• 13:00 Memory photos
• 13:30 Lunch
• 15:00 Horse racing
• 16:00 Closing ceremony of the festival
• 19:00 Dinner

4th Day:

• Drive to Murun town from “Dalai tour” tourist camp and lunch at Edelweiss Hotel

Back to UB

Since 2005, the festival has been organized on every August 4th. It has become one of the most favorite festivals among local children.  The festival is aim to inherit the culture and art of Western Mongolia as well as introducing and promoting it for domestic and foreign tourists. The festival includes performances of melodies performed on traditional instrument horse headed fiddle (bayad, durvud, hoton etc., ), throat songs, biyelgee. 

Programs :

• Opening ceremony
• Western Mongolian folk concert
• Awarding ceremony of best talent
• Opening ceremony of Children’ Mini Naadam
• Children’ wrestling
• 2-year-old horses or foals racing
• Betted adult wrestling
• Betted Stallion racing
• Betted 6-year-old horse racing
• Prizing activity for horse racing
• Prizing activity for wrestlers
• Closing ceremony

Note:

• During the festival, you’ll experience the Western Mongolian Nomad culture, tradition, lifestyle and watching how dairy products such as curds, cheese, vodka are produced visiting especially prepared gers
• We’ll serve you by vehicles from Ulaangom, Bayan-Ulgii or khovd provinces.
• Distances: 100km from Ulaangom, the central town of Uvs province 450 km from Khovd town, 240 km from Ulgii town
• Before or after Naadam we organize one or two-day tours
• Not allowed to sell or use alcohol

Everyone is getting thrilled about winter! Winter is the time for snow, chills, holiday season and fun! In Mongolia, however, there’s a bonus – exhilarating winter festivals! One of the festivals is the Camel Festival, held in the middle of the amazing Gobi Desert of Mongolia, and is already one of the most famous winter festivals in the world. This festival celebrates Mongolian camels, to conserve the 2-humped Bactrian camel species, pass the rich Mongolian camel breeding heritage to the next generation, and to promote winter tourism in Mongolia.

Camel Festival is annually held in 6-7th March and the event will take place in Dalanzadgad town of South Gobi. It’s an entertaining 2-day of event that features various contests related to Mongolian camel culture and lots of local music and dances. Nomads from far and near wear their best deels (Mongolian traditional clothes) and ride their best camels to attend the festival as it’s their pride and a big celebration for them.  During the festival, People from Gobi with camels prepare nice dress and traditional clothing to compete for best dressed and there are many kinds of competition among others and everyone in this festival are very satisfied every single programs by competing and involving.

Itinerary: UB - Mandalgobi - Dalanzadgad - Bulgan soum (from UB to Dalanzadgad 560km of paved road, approximately 7 hours of drive)

Programs: 

1st Day

• Pre championship of Camel Polo (competitions between local teams should be finished day before)
• Opening ceremony of the Camel Festival. Camels Parade. Tourists can attend the parade. Contest of the best couple on camelback
• Start of the Mongolian Traditional Game- ice shooting competition
• Championship of Camel Polo
• “Camel - My friend” Painting Exhibition organized by “Altai Snow cock” nature protecting club of Bulgan soum’s high school students and their activities
• Explore  the exhibition of local handcrafts, camel milk, healing effects of camel dairy products
• Enjoy the cultural concert of the “Altai Snow cock” nature protecting club

 2nd Day

• 09:00 – Start of Camel Race. Making bets on chosen camels. Organizing the bets “Bulgan Bulagyn Trainer’s Association”
• 10:30 Enjoy Camel Racing
• 12:00 2 year-old young camels’ race with the bets
• 13:00- 14:00 Lunch break
• 14:00 “Camel Relay” competition testing camel herders’ agility
• 17:00 Awarding and closing ceremonies

3rd Day (Leisure day, free day)

Back itinerary: Bulgan soum- Khavtsgait Rock Petro glyphs- Dalanzadgad

• Watch the “Khavtsgait Petro glyphs”, the remnant of the ancient people, which locate in Baruun Saikhan Mountain, the one of the Gobi Gurvan Saikhan Mountains where in 28 km from Bulgan soum
• Visit “Youth Cultural and Information Center” in Dalanzadgad and will be informed with the information of  Mongolian Gobi paleontology and nature, animals, flora and fauna
• Back to Ulaanbaatar from Dalanzadgad

Note:

• Bus ticket 30000 MNT (Bayanzurkh bus Station)
• Every day at 09:00 local transportation from Dalanzadgad to Bulgan soum (bus ticket 10000 MNT), Taxi goes from “Ochir ” Shopping center
• Bayanzurkh Bus Station-70153386; 98663386
• Umnugobi aimag’s Transportation Department- 70533708

Accommodation: Specially prepared Ger-hotels of Bulagan soum’s local people (in winter time tourist camps don’t work). In Ger-hotels work trained servers by tourist services and food services.

Communication services: Bulgan soum locates in 100 km from Dalanzadgad and there are available communication operators such as Mobicom, G-mobile, Skytel, Unitel.

Fee: 50 USD for mandate and allowed to take photos from car during the camel race in certain distance. Wear the mandate during the whole festival. Mandates will be given before one month.

Weather: Annual average temperatures at nights -10-15OC, at days -3-8 OC

Other: Various options of car services such as Land Cruiser 80, Land Cruiser 100, UAZ furgon etc.

Possible to attend tourists by team to all of the competitions like Camel polo, Camel Racing, Camel Parade, Camel Relay etc. Also will be appreciated tourists with the flags, logos of their countries and companies. Need to inform about attendance before 1st of March.

The companies or individual donors of the festival will be advertised broadly and gives right to become a member of the “Thousand camels- camel travel" association, the organizer. Tax of a member is 100 USD a year.

Programs:

• Opening ceremony
• Contest of the most beautiful horse and rider
• Contest of the best trainer of eagles
• Competition of eagle hunting
• Traditional games  
• Competition of catching items from the ground from top of a running horse
• Qualifying the King Eagle
• Closing ceremony

Ice Festival is annually held in 3-4th of March in Khuvsgul Province. During the festival, people from everywhere prepare nice dress and traditional clothing to compete for best dressed and there are many kinds of competition among others. In order to promote the winter tourism, the Ice Festival has been held one of the big events in Khatgal Province and everyone in this festival are very satisfied every single programs by competing and involving.

Programs:

1st day: 

• Opening Ceremony  
• Shaman Rituals
• Skate competition
• Horse and sledge races
• Traditional game “Ice Shooting”
• Marching of horses with sledges
• Sledge horse race for
• 1st round of skating marathon for 100km
• Car driving competition on ice
• Available horse riding & sledge dog
• Visit a nomad and reindeer families
• Shopping in ice gers
• Traditional art concert of local artists

2nd day: 

• 2nd round of skating marathon for 100 km
• Reindeer race
• Catching reindeer with lasso competition
• Short distance skating race (2 кm)
• Wrestling on ice
• Tug-of-war on ice
• Prize ceremony
• Closing ceremony

Fire works

Nauryz is celebrated broadly by over 300 million people worldwide in such places Middle East, Balkan Peninsula, Central Asia and Caucasus. In 2010, Nauryz is proved as the International Celebration by the General Assembly’s 64th conference of UNESCO.   Further Nauryz is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage (by Educational, scientific and cultural organizations). Nauryz is a non-religious celebration, but a celebration of the mankind who are in close relationship with mother earth. Word “Nauryz” originated from Persian words “Nau-New”, “Ryz- Day” which means “New Day”.  Nauryz is a New Year celebration for the Kazakhs who are sunny Muslims in Bayan Ulgii province. This holiday has been celebrated on 21-22 March, the day of the spring equinox. That’s why the Kazakhs call the month of March Nauryz.

Nauryz is celebrated as the day of the renewed life which comes with the spring. It is the day when the first spring thunder strikes, birds are swelling on the trees, and vegetation grows wildly. Nauryz, as a non-religious celebration of the spring and renewal, is closely linked to some other Kazakh holidays, such as a “farewell to winter” festival. People believed, the more generous the celebration of Nauryz was the happier the year would be. Therefore, there are so many rituals and festivities related to this holiday. On the eve of the holiday, people would clean their homes, pay back their debts and reconciled with their opponents because, as the old people used to say, if Nauryz entered the house, all diseases and failures would pass it by. On the night before the festival, all vessels in the house would be filled with milk; airan (plain yogurt), grain, and spring water because it meant that people would have a lot of milk, good yield and plenty of rain during the coming year. 

Programs:

• Opening ceremony
• National Costume Parade
• Nauryz Koje- Dancing celebration
• Various traditional games of Kazakh Nation

Website: http://www.bayan-olgii.gov.mn

Yak Festival is annually held in July in Uvurkhangai province. During the festival, local people celebrate their heritage and compete each other. Nomadic culture in the Khangai Mountains are very strong and the area has one of the highest concentration of yaks in the world. The event is eagerly anticipated by the community and great fun is had by all participants. This event is supported to attract more domestic and foreign tourists and increase the products which are produced locally by herders and locals. It also promotes yak improvement and numbers with productivity of raw materials.

The festival starts with the yak racing which are probably one of the world’s slowest mounted racing. Aim of the event: Protection of yaks, increase their numbers and promote yak benefits, products from yak. Ticket sales of the event will be donated to the “Khaluun bolor” or “hot crystal” center fund for the further activities and sanatorium construction work for the paralyzed children. 

Activities and competitions:

• Wrestling
• Twin calves celebration
• Contest of the Best Selected yak bull
• Contest of Dembee game and competition of yak airag
• Yak race

Highlights: local herders participate with their marked herds for the "Yak Naadagai-2015" Festival and during the celebration will be consecrated the Yak god and special ritual, worship to the deity of the livestock, Banzragch, to make the deity become the local deity for herders.