About Naadam Festival
What does the Mongolian Naadam Festival symbolize?
Naadam Festival is the most popular national holiday Mongolians celebrate on the 11th to 13th of July national independence and historical anniversaries and inherit the tradition and nomadic culture for the next generations. The Naadam Festival symbolizes national integrity.
What are the three events of the Naadam Festival? Naadam Festival sports
The Naadam is locally called "Eriin Gurvan Naadam," meaning “Three Manly Sports.” The three sports are horse racing, wrestling, and archery. Later added the Knucklebone shooting game. Thus, Naadam Festival comprises 4 national spots.
Although it is called Three Manly Sports, women can participate in horse racing, archery, and ankle-bone shooting, but not in wrestling.
When was the first Naadam Festival? Naadam Festival History
The origin of the Naadam festival is indeed ancient. In olden times, the Mongolian kings and military generals used to train the warriors and their vital war tool horses while feasting and competing in the three manly traditional sports.
Chinese reliable source wrote about the first Naadam celebration fact of the Hunnu Empire (209 BC Mongol Empire).
The Naadam celebration was handed down in 1206 when Temuujin enthroned Genghis Khan after building the Great Mongol Empire.
In 1939, Mongolians celebrated the religious Naadam Festival, declaring 5-year-old Zanabazar as a Mongolian spiritual leader. It was the origin of today’s religious Danshig Naadam.
During the 16th century Buddist introduction and 17th century Manchu control, Mongolians celebrated the Naadam Festivaл in the back of the mountain and Ovoo (religious cairns) worshipping.
At the beginning of the 20th century, Mongolians annually celebrated the Naadam Festival in honor of religious and state leader Bogd Khan with a conception of secretly organizing meetings.
One year after the Mongolian People Revolution in 1921, Naadam has been celebrated as an annual national holiday throughout the country since 1922.
Each town, each province, and each city has been annually celebrating the Naadam Festival since the adaptation of the Mongolian National Naadam law in 2003.
Which Naadam Festival is the best? Local Naadam vs Countryside Naadam
The Naadam in Ulaanbaatar allows its audience to see the colorful and marvelous opening ceremony, parades, cultural performances, evening shows, and state-range sports competitions. It is exciting to see the finals of the competitions on the second day of Naadam.
Khui Doloon Khudag horse trainers’ Naadam on 13 July. Khui Doloon Khudag is located 30 km west of Ulaanbaatar city. Khui Doloon Khudag Naadam allows the attendees to see horse racing and wrestling in more approachable conditions. Please note that no archery and knucklebone shooting at horse trainers Naadam. As usual, you can taste Naadam meals, buy souvenirs, and watch the traditional performance.
Countryside Naadam, in particular, the town Naadam is the most beautiful Naadam. You can see and photograph the sports and events from a closer distance, observe culture and tradition while mingling with the locals and nomads, and feel their hospitality. Many people know each other in the countryside. Thus, it is pretty to see them greeting each other and chatting.
When is the Naadam Festival? Why do Mongolians celebrate the Naadam Festival on different days?
The official Naadam celebration annually takes place throughout the country on 11 and 12 July.
Mongolia has 21 provinces and 330 soums (small administrative divisions/towns). All provinces and towns celebrate their festivals respectively. Some administrative units celebrate their festival on different dates depending on special celebration occasions, anniversaries happening at certain times, weather, pastureland, animal conditions, etc. Additionally, celebrating the Naadam Festival on different dates than Ulaanbaatar’s Naadam allows wrestlers, archers, and racehorses to compete in different Naadams and makes the Naadam sport more competitive.
The weather and pastureland conditions influence the Naadam celebration date. Most local Naadam Festival dates become clear by June.
Where is the Naadam festival in Mongolia? The Naadam Festival arena
Ulaanbaatar Naadam Central Stadium, Knucklebone Shooting Pavilion, and Archery Field are located in the same area, 1.5 m south of Sukhbaatar Square, a convenient walking distance from most downtown hotels. Wrestling continues for 2 days on 11 and 12 July. Knucklebone shooting continues for 4 days between 9 and 12 July. The archery tournament starts on 7 July and ends on 12 July.
The horse race finish line is located at Khui Doloon Khudag, 30 km west of Ulaanbaatar.
About Naadam Festival
What does the Mongolian Naadam Festival symbolize?
Naadam Festival is the most popular national holiday Mongolians celebrate on the 11th to 13th of July national independence and historical anniversaries and inherit the tradition and nomadic culture for the next generations. The Naadam Festival symbolizes national integrity.
What are the three events of the Naadam Festival? Naadam Festival sports
The Naadam is locally called "Eriin Gurvan Naadam," meaning “Three Manly Sports.” The three sports are horse racing, wrestling, and archery. Later added the Knucklebone shooting game. Thus, Naadam Festival comprises 4 national spots.
Although it is called Three Manly Sports, women can participate in horse racing, archery, and ankle-bone shooting, but not in wrestling.
When was the first Naadam Festival? Naadam Festival History
The origin of the Naadam festival is indeed ancient. In olden times, the Mongolian kings and military generals used to train the warriors and their vital war tool horses while feasting and competing in the three manly traditional sports.
Chinese reliable source wrote about the first Naadam celebration fact of the Hunnu Empire (209 BC Mongol Empire).
The Naadam celebration was handed down in 1206 when Temuujin enthroned Genghis Khan after building the Great Mongol Empire.
In 1939, Mongolians celebrated the religious Naadam Festival, declaring 5-year-old Zanabazar as a Mongolian spiritual leader. It was the origin of today’s religious Danshig Naadam.
During the 16th century Buddist introduction and 17th century Manchu control, Mongolians celebrated the Naadam Festivaл in the back of the mountain and Ovoo (religious cairns) worshipping.
At the beginning of the 20th century, Mongolians annually celebrated the Naadam Festival in honor of religious and state leader Bogd Khan with a conception of secretly organizing meetings.
One year after the Mongolian People Revolution in 1921, Naadam has been celebrated as an annual national holiday throughout the country since 1922.
Each town, each province, and each city has been annually celebrating the Naadam Festival since the adaptation of the Mongolian National Naadam law in 2003.
Which Naadam Festival is the best? Local Naadam vs Countryside Naadam
The Naadam in Ulaanbaatar allows its audience to see the colorful and marvelous opening ceremony, parades, cultural performances, evening shows, and state-range sports competitions. It is exciting to see the finals of the competitions on the second day of Naadam.
Khui Doloon Khudag horse trainers’ Naadam on 13 July. Khui Doloon Khudag is located 30 km west of Ulaanbaatar city. Khui Doloon Khudag Naadam allows the attendees to see horse racing and wrestling in more approachable conditions. Please note that no archery and knucklebone shooting at horse trainers Naadam. As usual, you can taste Naadam meals, buy souvenirs, and watch the traditional performance.
Countryside Naadam, in particular, the town Naadam is the most beautiful Naadam. You can see and photograph the sports and events from a closer distance, observe culture and tradition while mingling with the locals and nomads, and feel their hospitality. Many people know each other in the countryside. Thus, it is pretty to see them greeting each other and chatting.
When is the Naadam Festival? Why do Mongolians celebrate the Naadam Festival on different days?
The official Naadam celebration annually takes place throughout the country on 11 and 12 July.
Mongolia has 21 provinces and 330 soums (small administrative divisions/towns). All provinces and towns celebrate their festivals respectively. Some administrative units celebrate their festival on different dates depending on special celebration occasions, anniversaries happening at certain times, weather, pastureland, animal conditions, etc. Additionally, celebrating the Naadam Festival on different dates than Ulaanbaatar’s Naadam allows wrestlers, archers, and racehorses to compete in different Naadams and makes the Naadam sport more competitive.
The weather and pastureland conditions influence the Naadam celebration date. Most local Naadam Festival dates become clear by June.
Where is the Naadam festival in Mongolia? The Naadam Festival arena
Ulaanbaatar Naadam Central Stadium, Knucklebone Shooting Pavilion, and Archery Field are located in the same area, 1.5 m south of Sukhbaatar Square, a convenient walking distance from most downtown hotels. Wrestling continues for 2 days on 11 and 12 July. Knucklebone shooting continues for 4 days between 9 and 12 July. The archery tournament starts on 7 July and ends on 12 July.
The horse race finish line is located at Khui Doloon Khudag, 30 km west of Ulaanbaatar.