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monks. Two of the greatest moments involve a speech addressed by the President, and paying respect to the Nine White Banners – a type of flag pole adorned with horse tail hair hanging from a circular base in the superior part, with a sort of fork-looking piece on the top of the pole that represents a flame. A tradition initiated by Genghis Khan, the Mongol khans would place banners outside their yurts as a symbol of times of peace. Currently the Nine White Banners also symbolise eternity
take place as usual, except every participant must first have been tested for the COVID-19. The Committee said that “officials will be assigned to check temperatures and enforce the safety rules during the tournaments,” officials said as cited by local media.
The Three Manly games
It is the colourful traditional costumes that make Nadaam special. The dress-like outfits reflect the ancient and modern countryside styles. Belted by a broad
at five years old, and children master their skills until they take part in the Naadam race with hundreds of other children – a rite of passage.
Where Mongolian wrestling differs
from the international free wrestling is the fact that the competitors weight is not taken into consideration. There are many different titles for the wrestlers, such as Titan, Lion, Elephant and
Falcon – all meaning strength. These vary according to the numbers of wins over succeeding fights, especially during Naadam. The Nadaam champions can win cars, apartments, or large amounts of money.
And archery began as a weapon,
but the Mongolians soon realised archery was also a way to express their strength allied to precision. For official tournaments, the target is placed at a distance of 75 metres for men and 60 metres for women, who can compete both individually or in teams of eight to 12 people.
Absent tourists
Despite these precautions the biggest change to the event this year will be the absence of foreign tourists. The Naadam week is the biggest week in the country’s tourist season, but this year tourism has dropped to next to nothing.
In the first four months of 2019 the tourism sector achieved $73.3mn in revenue, but this year it only registered $20.9mn, according to the Mongolian National Statistics Office. Out of the
“Riding lessons begin at five years old, and children master their skills until they take part in the Naadam race with hundreds of other children – a rite of passage”
and great power, and they are kept in the Parliament house, being taken out only for very special occasions, such as the Naadam’s opening ceremony in a procession followed by many others over about three kilometres to the National Stadium.
The Naadam Organising Committee members have decided to go ahead with the ceremony but with some concessions to the pandemic: the performances
will happen simultaneously in different locations and be live-streamed on television and via the internet to keep crowd sizes down. The provision of trade and services has also been forbidden around the Central Stadium, which will hit the traditional food tents and are
a big part of the festival.
The main traditional dishes of the country comprise of a sort of noodles with meat and some vegetables, called tsuivan, which is either Mongolian or Chinese in origin (no one can agree),
as well as flour and meat based steamed or fried dumplings called buuz and huushuur respectively. The latter is
the big star of Naadam, but also eaten throughout the year as a popular cheap and fast food.
However, the competition in all three of the traditional disciplines will still
sash called a deel, the upper part works as a big pocket in which horsemen and herders can put their tools, freeing their hands for the work in the field before returning to their yurts, also called gers. Nowadays there are infinite styles of deels, for both genders and all ages and at a vast range of prices. They are mostly used on special occasions, such as for wedding and graduation ceremonies, Tsagaan Sar, as well as for Naadam.
But it is the three manly games that draw the crowds from all over the world. When Genghis Khan united the people of the steppe in the 13th century horse riding became an essential part of Mongolia’s culture. Riding lessons begin
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