Friday, August 17, 2012
Photographers Lounge: What is the Naadam Festival in Mongolia
Photographers Lounge: What is the Naadam Festival in Mongolia: Naadam is a traditional type of festival in Mongolia. The festival is also locally termed "eriin gurvan naadam" (эрийн гурван наадам) "the ...
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Nomads' day festival
A cultural
revival on Mongolian steppes
Every year on 17-18 of
September, symbolising the most auspicious days of the lunar calendar, nomads
on Mongolian steppes celebrate Nomads’ Day festival enjoying their world
renowned Naadam Three Manly Games – archery, wrestling and horse racing, lots
of music and dances, ancient traditions and various competitions in beautiful
Gun-Galuut nature reserve, just 2 hour drive from Ulaanbaatar. For two days the
steppes come alive with sounds, colourful costumes and joy of nomads just
before the long and harsh winter starts.
The Nomads’ Day festival
has become a local cultural festival which is waited for all year by locals and
visitors alike from a small tourist event, organised to revive Mongolian traditional
nomadic culture, within a few years. The festival attracts approximately 300
locals and 50-60 foreign visitors each year. Selena Travel, a Mongolia based
inbound travel company, started the festival within their community-based,
responsible tourism initiatives on Mongolian steppes in 2005 in cooperation
with the local community. In 2009, Selena Travel received international
recognition for initiating and supporting the Nomads’ Day festival when it was
awarded the Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards in the category of Best
for Cultural Conservation.
The blissful festival follows a program that gives foreign visitors a wonderful opportunity to discover traditional Mongolian nomadic culture, lifestyle and traditions and meet true nomads and experience their unparalleled hospitality without any hassles and hustles. On the first day of the festival two major events held – competition among local nomad groups consisting of 2 men, 2 women and a child aged 6 to 12. Their competitions include thrilling activities from moving traditions: assembling and disassembling a ger, loading camel and yak carts; horse culture: catching and taming horses, horsemen picking lassos up on horseback at full speed gallop; women’s daily routine: milking cattle, making ropes from sheep wool; and children’s mental challenges of traditional games. A fun and competitive contest among tourists takes place too. Late in the afternoon nomads compete with their artistic talents singing, dancing and performing national arts. Sometimes, even a local girl or two might perform contortion. On second day, nomads compete with traditional Mongolian sports: archery, horse racing and wrestling, and young couples challenge their beauty and intelligence at Beauties of the Steppes contest. All winners of competitions and visitors are invited to Delicacies for Genghis gala dinner presenting the best of steppe delicacies at the end of the festival.
Organisers’ team is made of Selena Travel staff and local community members and they bend backwards to ensure the festival organization runs smoothly. According to a survey conducted, the Nomads’ Day organisers cater two types of tourists during the 2 day event. Generally, those from the USA and Europe want to taste the adventures that mark nomadic life, while Asian tourists tend to want to relax and seek comfort. Laurent and Lisa, saddle makers from USA had planned to spend a month in Mongolia. Lisa said, "We loved Mongolian clothes, they are so comfortable, beautiful and we can put things in the Ovor, which is similar to a pocket. We are enjoying our time at the Nomads’ Day festival and Mongolia greatly, and already planning to return next year!” Ann, Phillip, Sarah and Steve from Australia said, “We had a wonderful time during the Nomads Day Festival. Most importantly, everything was real not touristic! We were made to feel very welcome. We had the most wonderful holiday that we will never forget”.
The Nomads’ Day festival was beyond our expectation. We had no idea what to expect, and seeing the gers erected, the kids horse race, the various ceremonies and especially the children’s music and dance performance was worth the trip alone to Mongolia – and we thank you for the experience. David Friedman, USA
|
The Nomads’ Day festival is an event definitely not to be missed!
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Boxing: British captain exits
Reuters) - Mongolian light-welterweight Munkh-Erdene Uranchimeg produced a ferocious display to
down British captain Thomas Stalker in the best fight of the London Games, a
big casualty on a tricky Wednesday for the top seeds.
Uranchimeg
claimed a 23-22 victory against the 28-year-old Stalker over an action packed
nine minutes between the top two fighters in the world rankings.
The
30-year-old Mongolian, competing in his third Olympics, was energetic
and clinical over the three rounds and perhaps should have won by a bigger
margin, as he picked off Stalker with a number of clean rights in the third as
the Briton tired.
The
quarter-final victory brought a chorus of boos in the ExCel arena from the home
crowd, who were quiet throughout the contest and were out cheered by a pocket
of Mongolian fans.
"My soul is full of emotion. I have been n the Olympics three times now - Athens, Beijing and now London. It has been my long-standing dream to get a medal, which I have now achived," Uranchime told reporters after guaranteeing a bronze.
The narrow defeat was too much to take a Stalker, who threw his towel over his head and stormed our of the arena.
"My soul is full of emotion. I have been n the Olympics three times now - Athens, Beijing and now London. It has been my long-standing dream to get a medal, which I have now achived," Uranchime told reporters after guaranteeing a bronze.
The narrow defeat was too much to take a Stalker, who threw his towel over his head and stormed our of the arena.
The
British boxing captain appealed the decision to world governing body AIBA, who
said they would review the bout.
"Yeah
(he's inconsolable), he's not even speaking at the moment," Stalker's
corner Dave Alloway told reporters.
"To be one bout away and lose by one point, to lose it by such a close decision is the bit he's finding hard to believe, It's one punch, one shot, one scoring blow," he added.
"He's devastated because he obviously wanted to get himself a medal at his home - based Olympics but it wasn't to be."
"To be one bout away and lose by one point, to lose it by such a close decision is the bit he's finding hard to believe, It's one punch, one shot, one scoring blow," he added.
"He's devastated because he obviously wanted to get himself a medal at his home - based Olympics but it wasn't to be."
Ukrainian
light-welterweight Denys Berinchyk, sporting one of the oddest haircuts in the
boxing tournament, was dancing a jig in the ring after the second seed beat
Australian Jeffrey Horn to set up a clash with Uranchimeg.
"It's going to be harder to flight with the Mongolian (than Stalker), but we will see," Berinchyk said before discussing the eye-catching mostly shaved style with a lengthy piece of hair left on top.
"The hairstyle is a traditional Ukrainian hairstyle called chub, and it was traditionally worn by Kazaki people from the south of Ukraine, who are known as good fighters."
Source from: Reuters
"It's going to be harder to flight with the Mongolian (than Stalker), but we will see," Berinchyk said before discussing the eye-catching mostly shaved style with a lengthy piece of hair left on top.
"The hairstyle is a traditional Ukrainian hairstyle called chub, and it was traditionally worn by Kazaki people from the south of Ukraine, who are known as good fighters."
Source from: Reuters
Labels:
mongolia,
mongolia olympian,
sports in mongolia
Location:
London, UK
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Mongolia – the Land of Marvels
If you are seeking a break in a land of peace and
marvels, Mongolia
is the right place for you. Mongolia
is the country of an inimitable nomadic culture, untouched wild & exquisite
nature, absorbing adventures and cordial nomads.
Erdene - Zuu Monastery source from Selena Travel |
Virgin
Nature & Rare Wildlife: This post communist country has a huge territory that is 3
times size of France .
The Mongols have beautiful traditions to conserving the nature and as its
results, Mongolia
is today’s least touched land. Situated in the high plateau of Central Asia , Mongolian terrain mainly consists of Siberian
taiga, famous Gobi desert, Altai Mountains and Central Asian steppes. Over 4000m high Altai Mountains tower the western part of the country.
The taiga – picturesque Huvsgul mountains dominate the northern
Mongolia with the pristinelake
Huvsgul . Darkhad valley
in stunning Huvsgul is famous for sport fishers with its huge Taimen! Central
part of made of forested mountains, mountain steppes and is a perfect place for
hiking & horse treks. The magical Gobi ,
its magnificent steppes are in the southern Mongolia . Genghis Khan’s birthplace
Khentii Mountains border with the Great endless
steppes in the east. You will admire Mongolian photogenic countryside while
traveling through this loveable country!
Mongolia with the pristine
Wonderful
People & Unique Culture: The Mongols are world widely known for
their fantastic arts, the 2 stringed “Morin Khuur” – Horse Headed Fiddle, “Hoomii”
– throat singing, “Contortionism” – Elastic girls, Long songs, Traditional
dance, Mongol painting and so on. The Buddhist and Shamanist influences in
Mongol art make it more wonderful. Mongolia is one of the biggest religious centers in the world with a great
many features of both Buddhism and ancient
shamanism. Today Buddhism and shamanism exist together in Mongolia as the
Mongols practice both of them. During the time of the Great Khans Tibetan
Yellow Sect form of Buddhism gained influence in Mongolia . Genghis Khan, leader of
the biggest empire ever was well-known for his religious tolerance, having
Nestorian Christians, Moslems, Maniche’s and shamans within his realm.
The nomads could find the pastoral animal
husbandry that perfectly suits Mongolian ever changing 4 seasons, sharp
continental climate. The Mongols live peaceful close to the nature, conserving
it, keeping their distinctive lifestyle and unique culture. Mongolian nomads
with real smiles on their faces are the most hospitable people that one ever
meets. Mongolia
has a dozen ethnic groups and each has its own dialect, costumes and
traditions. The Kazakh people inhabiting the Altai mountains are the only Muslims in the country and they differ from
the others by their culture, religion, language, renowned Hunter Eagles and
beautiful embroideries. Also the Tsaatan people keeping reindeers, living in
huts in the taiga, are still practicing shamanism and have a very unusual
lifestyle.
Labels:
mongolia,
mongolia travel,
tour,
travel,
trip
Location:
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Monday, August 6, 2012
Gun-Galuut nature reserve
Fantastic
Gün-Galuut Nature Reserve was founded to conserve the globally
threatened species and their habitat, while developing sustainable,
environmentally friendly tourism in this remote area. The
species include the IUCN listed White Naped Crane, Hooded Crane, White Crane,
Swan Goose and Argali Wild Sheep and many other species listed in the national
red book.
The
Reserve is mainly hilly open steppes along the beautiful river Kherlen. Here
you can hike, ride horses/camels/yaks, visit real nomadic families and learn
their lifestyle, kayak or fish on the River Kherlen, sail on the lake Ikh-Gun.
The Reserve is an ideal place for bird watching and Argali wild sheep viewing.
Gun-Galuut is not very far from Ulaanbaatar ,
only 130km in the south east. This is the only place where you will really feel
the ultimate Mongolian experience. Amazing Gun-Galuut Nature Reserve is a
destination, definitely not to be missed! For more info please visit Gun-Galuut nature reserve
Labels:
mongolia.gun-galuut,
nature reserve,
wildlife
Location:
Mongolia
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