Mongolia's Naadam Festival: By the numbers
A primer to the centuries-old celebration
Asia's last untamed frontier
A land of nomadic horsemen and arid steppes that stretch to either jagged mountains or the massive Gobi Desert, Mongolia's cold, windy landscape evokes images of Genghis Khan and Mongol hordes. Traditional and exotic, Mongolian culture still revolves around a nomadic heritage with the family ger (yurt) at the centre, and horses the only transport. In the capital of Ulaanbaatar, Russian, Chinese, and Tibetan influences mix, and Tibetan Buddhist monasteries are infused with Mongolian Shamanism. Every year the capital hosts the colourful Naadam festival, where thousands flock to compete in the "three manly games" of wrestling, archery, and cross-country horse racing, said to be tests of a warrior's courage and strength.
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