In Mongolia, a Summer Festival for the Ages

For a few days in early July, the people of Mongolia eat, dance and play “the three games of men” during a storied festival called Naadam.

The 2012 Naadam opening ceremony in Ulaanbaatar. Carsten ten Brink. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

Mongolia is a country primarily known for its nomadic inhabitants and isolated location. Positioned between Russia and China, it is easily overlooked in the midst of these global giants. Its relative emptiness does not help matters; only 3.3 million people inhabit Mongolia’s 603,909 square miles , making it the least densely populated country in the world. But every summer, those 3.3 million come together in a celebration of sports, culture and Mongolia’s past. This celebration is called Naadam, and as far as festivals go, it is one of the last of its kind.

In ancient times, when Ghengis Khan and his horde of Mongols were inhabiting what would eventually become Mongolia, soldiers were selected for battle based on their skills in various sports. Wrestling, horse racing and archery in particular were activities that Khan believed a good soldier should, and would, excel at. Before and after battles, his battalions would organize and participate in sports competitions. These local competitions evolved into what Naadam is now. 

As a consequence of the 1921 Mongolian People’s Revolution, which brought the nation independence from China, Naadam’s essence was altered. It was officially sanctioned as a national holiday, with a date set in the second week of July. Mongolia’s capital of Ulaanbaatar became the home of “National Naadam,” the biggest and most important celebration of the holiday. Most importantly, the festival became less of a violent competition and more of a national celebration; an emotional change which remains today. 

Every celebration of Naadam features the three main sports of Mongolia; wrestling, horse racing and archery. All three sports have histories in Mongolia that are older than the country itself. For example: if a rock carving found in central Mongolia is anything to go by, wrestling competitions have been around in the county since the Bronze Age. Naadam features the grandest of all Mongolian wrestling competitions; up to a thousand or more take part in the Ulaanbaatar tournament. Before their matches, wrestlers often mimic local birds such as eagles, hawks and vultures. By doing well in the competition, wrestlers can receive titles based on these animals—“hawk of Ulaanbaatar,” for example, would be given to a wrestler who makes it to the final few rounds.

The final thing to note about Mongolian wrestling is the dress code, which is very particular. Wrestlers must don a four-sided hat, shorts, boots, and a shoulder vest that exposes the chest. The legend is that the open vest was put into practice after a woman snuck into the male-only wrestling competition in ancient times by pretending to be her father, and eventually won the competition. Such deceptions have been made impossible by exposing the chest of the wrestlers; to this day, Mongolian wrestling continues to be an exclusively male sport.

Naadam wrestling in the village of Tariat. Evgeni Zotov. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Horses are a large part of Mongolian life—nomadic tribes continue to depend exclusively on them for transportation. It follows that horse racing is extremely popular in the nation. According to Naadam’s official website, around 180,000 horses race during the holiday. All of Naadam’s races are very long in distance—at least in comparison to western competitions. The Kentucky Derby is about 1¼ miles long; a Naadam race can be up to ten times that.

Mongolian jockeys are incredibly wily and experienced; most Mongolians learn to ride a horse when they are just five years old. The jockeys treat their horses with incredible care. Before, after and even during the races, they are said to sing complimentary songs to their steeds.

The final sport of Naadam is archery, which is said to be even older than wrestling in Mongolia. Naadam’s official website hypothesizes that archery has been around in Mongolia since the Neolithic period, which ended in 4,500 BC. It was first used for hunting—later on, Ghengis Khan would employ it in his battles and sports competitions.

Male, female and child archers all compete at Naadam, wearing traditional costumes made of colorful cloth. There are three categories of the sport—Khalka, Buriat and Uriankhai—each of which come from different tribes and have different sets of rules. Only men are allowed to practice Uriankhai archery, for example.

While these three sports are the core of Naadam, the festival does not begin and end with them. There are smaller carnival games, singing and dancing. National cuisine is enjoyed; Khuushuur, a fried pancake with meat, is the most popular dish. Airag, a fermented, alcoholic drink made from horse milk, is also popular.

However, Naadam’s most important attribute is not the food, the history or the sports competitions. It is the fact that for a few summer days, the sparse vastness of Mongolia is filled. Whether in Ulaanbaatar or in a tiny village, Naadam brings Mongolians together to celebrate a culture that few in the world know anything about. This quiet happiness is the magic of Naadam; it is a magic that will continue long into the future.

Finn Hartnett

Finn grew up in New York City and is now a first-year at the University of Chicago. In addition to writing for Catalyst, he serves as a reporter for the Chicago Maroon. He spends his free time watching soccer and petting his cat

Battling Air Pollution in Mongolia

Ulaanbaatar’s coal addiction is fueling a public health crisis

Smog impedes mountain view. Mongolia, 2010.. Einar Fredrikse.CC BY-SA 2.0.

Many associate Mongolia with a picturesque scene of snow-white sheep roaming the prairies and a chilly, crisp wind sweeping over Bogd Khairkhan Mountain. In sharp contrast to these images, the level of air pollution is 27 times more than the healthy level that the World Health Organization(WHO) recommends, with 687 micrograms or particulate matter per cubic meter invading the Land of the Eternal Blue Sky. Ganjargal Dembrel, a doctor from the northern part of Ulaanbaatar who responded to a house call, said he no longer “knows what a healthy lung sounds like,” with none to be found in his neighborhood, according to his interview with National Geographic.“Everybody has bronchitis or some other problem, especially during winter, ” he said. As Dembrel suggests, the severity of Mongolia’s air pollution is threatening the public health of the country in a way known as “slow violence.” Coined by Rob Nixon, a professor in the Department of Humanities and the Environment at Princeton University, the phrase refers to the adverse impact of climate change, deforestation, acidifying oceans, and other hazardous environmental crises on underprivileged or minority communities. According to Nixon, “slow violence” is largely invisible in the short term, but is detrimental over years, decades, and even centuries, solidifying environmental injustice in the worst-hit regions. The current situation in Mongolia is the case in point.

The primary cause of Mongolia's air pollution is its reliance on coal and other fossil fuels. Households in Mongolia depend on burning coals to remain warm during the winter season, which is the third coldest winter in the world: the temperature can fall as low as -40°F. F. 

During the sub-freezing winter, research found that the residential district in Ulaanbaatar, known as the “ger”, burns around 600,000 tons of raw coal for heating purposes. The  coal consumed by ger areas accounts for 80% of the current air pollution in the city. In addition, the geographic features of Ulaanbaatar accumulate the devastation of air pollution. High mountains surrounding Ulaanbaatar’s urban areas, which have lower wind speeds, block air pollutants from dissipation. 

Home to 3.3 million people, Mongolia faces substantial challenges posed by the aftermath of its climate crisis. The fine particulate matter in the air of Ulaanbaatar contributed to 28.8% of deaths caused by cardiovascular disease and lung disease. Among the impacted population, the children are the most vulnerable. The second leading cause of death for children under the age of 5 in Mongolia is pneumonia, a lung infection. In the highly polluted area of Ulaanbaatar, children have 40% lower lung function than their peers living in rural areas. 

Studies have also found that pollution imposes a high risk to reproductive health. In January, the month of peak pollution, the amount of successfully delivered infants relative to conceptions in Mongolia was reduced by 3.2-fold. The alarming infliction of climate disasters hits the next generation of Mongolians hardest.

To reduce air pollution, governments, organizations, and individuals in Mongolia and around the world are taking action. The Mongolian government passed the “Law on Air Quality” in 2012, implementing policies such as subsidizing household electricity. It also bans raw coal starting in May 2019, replacing it with refined coal. Though not without pushback from weak municipal execution and economic depression, the overall situation is improving. Winter of 2019 saw a dramatic decrease of particulate matter by 2.5 falling 42% compared to the previous year.  It remains to be seen whether these measures and others will be able to fully tackle Ulaanbaatar's pollution problem. 

Non-profit international organizations such as Geres and United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) also partner with the government to mitigate the pollution. UNICEF is working with  nongovernmental organizations on programs including training health workers’ skills and knowledge, increasing families’ access to affordable medication, and raising public awareness of the effect of pollution. Geres, a development NGO working in Europe, Africa, and Asia, coordinates projects such as the energy renovation of fragile housing in Ulaanbaatar that aims to eradicate the primary cause of air pollution.

The future holds promise for Mongolia as long as all parties involved take responsibility and work together to protect the environment and public health. Tackling air pollution is a shared responsibility for the government, international organizations, and individuals, and will require immense effort to transition to a more sustainable urbanization model for the traditionally nomadic nation.

To Get Involved:

The UNICEF Mongolia country office works in close partnership with the Government of Mongolia, NGOs, and local communities to protect child rights in Mongolia from access to resources to educate about the environment and air pollution. Find out more about UNICEF here.

Geres is working on multiple projects that contribute to sustainable, energy-efficient development in Ulaanbaatar and other major cities in Mongolia. Learn more about their program and how you can take action here.

Hope Zhu

Hope is a Chinese international student at Wake Forest University in North Carolina studying sociology, statistics, and journalism. She dreams of traveling around the globe as a freelance reporter while touching on a wide range of social issues from education inequality to cultural diversity. Passionate about environmental issues and learning about other cultures, she is eager to explore the globe. In her free time, she enjoys cooking Asian cuisine, reading, and theater.

The Shamanistic Significance of the Mother Tree in Shaamar, Mongolia

This spiritual landmark represents the intersection between Buddhism and Shamanism within Mongolia.

Sunrise over a cluster of Yurts in Mongolia. Vince Gx. Unsplash. 

The Mother Tree is a spiritual landmark located in Shaamar, Mongolia that holds deep significance to those who practice Shamanism. Also known as the Eej Mod, the tree is believed to act as a gateway between the human and spiritual worlds. Many make the trek to the tree in hopes of having their prayers answered. 

Shamanism is a religious practice that is centered around a shaman, an individual believed to communicate with the souls of the dead and heal others. A large part of shamanistic practices revolve around one’s profound connection to the abstract and spiritual. Thus, the Mother Tree serves as a means to channel and amplify that energy. 

While Buddhism is the most commonly practiced religion in Mongolia today, Shamanism is one of the oldest, and still holds deep cultural significance in modern times. Many of those who practice Shamanism believe that the Mother Tree became a gateway to the spiritual world after being struck by lightning. It is believed that the Mother Tree marks the intersection between modern Buddhism and traditional Shamanism, like many monuments and sites in Mongolia tend to do. Rather than ignore the past, Mongolian traditions preserve it. 

Trees have a profound significance in the Shamanism tradition—Sacred Trees were often placed in the center of a Shaman’s house to allow their spirits to be freed from the body. This was believed to send a Shaman into a deep trance that would let them ascend in spirit flight, or spiritual ecstasy. 

The original Mother Tree was surrounded by a yurt, and it was very common for visitors to leave incense sticks near the site. However, in 2015, one visitor lit an incense stick too close to the tree, causing it to catch fire. Only a stump of the original tree was salvaged. Today, this stump is still visited by many and covered in ceremonial blue scarves to signify honor and respect and is soaked with milk and vodka 

Finding the Mother Tree is no easy feat; it is located off of a main road in Shaamar with nothing but a small sign that reads “Eej Mod” to guide visitors. The Tree is located a few kilometers along tracks which split from the main road, but most visitors end up traveling with locals to ensure that they find it. Every year, visitors from as far as Japan, Korea and China make the trek to the Mother Tree to experience its spiritual powers and have their prayers answered.

Zara Irshad

Zara is a third year Communication student at the University of California, San Diego. Her passion for journalism comes from her love of storytelling and desire to learn about others. In addition to writing at CATALYST, she is an Opinion Writer for the UCSD Guardian, which allows her to incorporate various perspectives into her work.

Khoomei: Mongolian Throat Singing As Art and Action

Khoomei, otherwise known as Mongolian throat singing, enjoys a wide international audience thanks to inventive local artists looking for ways to share and save their culture.

Mongolian throat singers holding a horsehead fiddle. Alan Fieldus. CC BY-NC 2.0. 

Across the steppes of Central Asia, the almost eerie but melodic droning of “khoomei” still echoes. Khoomei, more commonly known as throat singing, is the practice in which a singer can produce two or more notes simultaneously. By utilizing the jaw and larynx, as well as precise lip movements, the singer can produce unique harmonies using only their body.

Khoomei, which translates to “throat” in Mongolian, has origins with the Tuva people, an Indigenous group found in parts of Siberia, Mongolia and China. A 1999 Scientific American article traced back both the techniques of khoomei and its rich history. According to Tuvan legends, throat singing was the first way humans learned to sing. Throat singing was also designed to mimic the natural sounds of the surrounding wind and water. Coupled with their animistic beliefs, the Tuvan people believed that throat singing also served a spiritual purpose. Khoomei eventually proliferated and evolved among the Turko-Mongol tribes.

During the first half of the 20th century, however, throat singing was restricted. Communist governments considered the art as “backward” due to its heavy ritual and ethnic legacies. It was not until the 1980s that throat singing was restored to its former glory and preserved as a national art form. In 2010, UNESCO inscribed khoomei on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. This honor was conferred to officially acknowledge the unique oral histories and philosophies that khoomei harbors. Despite its difficult history and almost seemingly jubilant ascent, khoomei and its singers are still under threat.

Mongolia’s wide-open steppes made it the ideal sound room for practicing and perfecting khoomei. Vince Gx. Unsplash.

Mongolia is a country that is landlocked between two geopolitical giants, China and Russia. The government has feared that both countries’ economic and diplomatic influences will overwhelm its own affairs. In 2010, Mongolian throat singers sought to defend the tradition against China. UNESCO mistakenly listed China as the sole country of throat singers, a misprint that angered the Mongolian community. 

In 2013, China announced its ambitious Belt and Road Initiative, a plan meant to enhance infrastructure connectivity and deepen financial cooperation, among several other aims. While China poured billions of dollars into creating trade routes and industries, the Mongolian people remain unappeased.

With these economic gains also came renewed cultural conflicts. When visiting the Mongolian capital of Ulaanbaatar this past September, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi was greeted by protesters who accused Beijing of suppressing the Mongolian language in China’s Inner Mongolia autonomous region. The former Mongolian president Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj condemned the Chinese government’s policy that replaced Mongolian with Mandarin in school curriculums. Elbegdorj condemned the action as “cultural genocide” and urged Mongolians to persist in preserving their culture at home and abroad. A part of this resistance also includes using khoomei as a way to reclaim and reassert identity.

Enter The HU. Through music, this heavy metal band uses its Mongolian roots as a way to share the country’s  culture with the world. Its most popular pieces, “Wolf Totem” and “Yuve Yuve Yu,” have garnered nearly 111 million YouTube views combined. The HU has charted millions of listeners on Spotify and even covered songs for the video game, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. In an interview, The HU shared that its music stays true to form, mimicking natural sounds in certain tracks. The members hope that they can continue to be cultural ambassadors for their country and its culture. In 2019, The HU was honored with the Order of Genghis Khan, a presidential award recognizing special merits to society.

While music may not solve political conflicts, its influence and reach has given many Mongolians something to be proud of. Khoomei especially has proven to be both a restricted and a revolutionary form of art. As this contested expression continues to endure and flourish, it is clear that the people need their music as much as a song requires a voice.

Rhiannon Koh

Rhiannon earned her B.A. in Urban Studies & Planning from UC San Diego. Her honors thesis was a speculative fiction piece exploring the aspects of surveillance technology, climate change, and the future of urbanized humanity. She is committed to expanding the stories we tell.

8 Surprisingly Vibrant Desert Destinations

Deserts are much more than the beating sun and rolling sand dunes we often picture. These eight destinations showcase the incredible natural beauty of the desert, from salt flats and chalk formations to mountains and glaciers. 

Though deserts are often thought of as just hot, dry expanses of sand, they come in a variety of climates and landscapes and hold some of the world’s most fascinating natural formations. Deserts “are areas that receive very little precipitation,” making them arid but not necessarily hot and sandy. Many deserts are mountainous, and others are large expanses of rock or salt flats. Though their arid environment makes water in deserts scarce, they are far from lifeless. Plants and animals, including humans, have adapted to desert life. One-sixth of the Earth’s population lives in deserts, which are found on every continent. 

These eight desert destinations range from freezing to boiling in temperature and are all unique, with their own attractions and plant and animal life. Each of these stunning deserts is worth a visit, and they may change your opinion of the desert as a stark, lonely place to one of beautiful landscapes blooming with culture, history and life. 

White and Black Deserts, Egypt 

Located just a few hours from Cairo, Egypt’s White and Black deserts are two stunning and underappreciated visitor attractions. The White Desert is located in the Farafra Depression, a section of Egypt’s Western Desert, and boasts some of the most unique geological landscapes in the country. Incredible wind-carved white chalk formations rise from the sand in the shapes of towering mushrooms and pebbles, giving the White Desert its name. The White Desert stretches over 30 miles, and the most visited area is the southern portion closest to Farafra. To the north of the White Desert is the Black Desert, where volcanic mountains have eroded to coat the sand dunes with a layer of black powder and rocks. In the Black Desert, visitors can climb up English Mountain and look out over the landscape. The Egyptian Tourism Authority recommends booking a tour to explore the deserts in depth, and travelers can even stay in the White Desert overnight. 

Joshua Tree National Park, California 

Joshua Tree National Park in Southern California is where two different desert ecosystems meet. Parts of the Mojave and the Colorado deserts are both found in Joshua Tree, along with a distinctive variety of plant and animal life. The Joshua tree, the park’s namesake, is the most identifiable of the plants, with its twisted, spindly branches and spiky clusters of greenery. Some of the park’s most popular attractions are Skull Rock; Keys View, a lookout with views of the Coachella Valley and the San Andreas Fault; and Cottonwood Spring Oasis, which was a water stop for prospectors and miners in the late 1800s. Joshua Tree National Park has roughly 300 miles of hiking trails for visitors to explore. The park is open 24 hours and can be visited at any time of the year, but visitation rises during the fall due to the cool weather and is at its height during the wildflower bloom in the spring. 

Atacama Desert, Chile 

Trips to the Atacama Desert in northern Chile are likened to visiting Mars on Earth. The dry, rocky terrain is so similar to that of Mars that NASA tests its Mars-bound rovers here. The Atacama Desert, the driest desert on Earth, spans over 600 miles between the Andes and the Chilean Coastal Range. Some weather stations set up in the Atacama have never seen rain. Despite its dryness, the desert is home to thousands of people, as well as plants and animals. People have been living in the Atacama Desert for centuries; mummies were discovered in the Atacama dating back to 7020 B.C., even before the oldest known Egyptian mummies. Attractions in the Atacama Desert include El Tatio geyser field, the Chaxa Lagoon, the Atacama salt flats, and sand dunes over 300 feet tall. The Atacama Desert is also said to have some of the clearest night skies in the world, making it perfect for stargazing. It is best to avoid a trip to the Atacama during the summer months, as the high temperatures make for a sweltering visit. 

Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia 

The world’s largest salt flat, Salar de Uyuni, covers 3,900 square miles in the southwestern corner of Bolivia. Salar de Uyuni is so large it can be seen from space and holds an estimated 10 billion tons of salt. Beneath the salt flat is approximately 70% of the world’s lithium reserves. This lithium is carefully extracted and used for powering laptops, electric cars and smartphones. Salar de Uyuni is surrounded by scenic lakes, geysers and rock formations, and is one of the world’s most beautiful and untouched natural landscapes. Tours of Salar de Uyuni take visitors to the Valley of Rocks; Morning Sun, which is home to geysers and mud pots; Colchani, a salt-processing village; and the Polques Hot Springs, where travelers can soak in warm thermal water. The landscape of Salar de Uyuni changes based on the seasons, so travelers should plan their visits around what they want to see. From July to October, access to all sites of Salar de Uyuni is unrestricted, but during the rainy season from December to April, visitors may be able to witness the salt flat’s famous mirror effect, where a thin layer of water over the salt transforms the land into the world’s largest mirror. 

Tanque Verde Ranch, Arizona 

Located just outside of Tucson, Arizona, near Saguaro National Park and the Rincon Mountains, Tanque Verde Ranch gives visitors “the ultimate dude ranch experience.” The ranch sprawls over 640 acres and stocks over 150 horses. Visitors to the ranch can get a real-life cowboy experience, including horseback riding and team penning. Riders of all experience levels will find something to do at Tanque Verde, where visitors can take beginning, intermediate and advanced lessons and then go on a sunrise or sunset trail ride through the Arizona desert. Tanque Verde Ranch offers kids’ riding activities too, as well as activities for non-riders such as yoga, mountain biking, fishing, swimming and pickleball. Visitors should pack long pants and closed-toe shoes if they plan to ride, and casual wear is appropriate for all non-riding times. Trips to the ranch usually last around four days, and visitors stay on the property. Tanque Verde Ranch is open to visitors year-round. 

Gobi Desert, Mongolia 

Spanning most of southern Mongolia and its border with China, the Gobi Desert contains stunning views and years of history. The region was once populated by dinosaurs, and some of the best-preserved fossils in the world were found near the Flaming Cliffs of Bayanzag. The Gobi Desert showcases a variety of natural beauty, from towering sand dunes to incredible white granite formations. Dry desert plants that come to life after rain make the Gobi unique, as well as ”saxaul forests” made up of sand-colored shrubbery. Visitors to the Gobi Desert should explore the Khongor Sand Dunes, an area that offers rocky and mountainous terrain in the south, dry and barren terrain in the center, and several oases in the north. Other major attractions are the Flaming Cliffs of Bayanzag, where red clay seems to glow in the sun, and the Gobi Waterfall, which looks like a city in ruins but is a completely natural formation. The best time to visit the Gobi Desert is either in late spring or in autumn, when the weather is neither too hot nor too cold.

Nk’Mip Desert, Canada 

Also called the Okanagan Desert, Canada’s Nk’Mip Desert contains the most endangered landscape in Canada. Located in Osoyoos in British Columbia, the Nk’Mip Desert Cultural Center is a 1,600-acre area of the Okanagan Desert managed by the Osoyoos Indian Band, and is the only fully intact area of desert in Canada. The desert is situated in a semiarid microclimate. The cultural center was designed to be eco-friendly and resembles the traditional winter homes of the Osoyoos Indian Band. Visitors can explore the desert on walking trails, which are surrounded by sage, prickly pear cactuses and antelope brush, as well as sculptures of desert creatures and native peoples by Smoker Marchand. The trails take visitors through a traditional Osoyoos village, where they will find a traditional sweat lodge and pit house. Many visitors prefer to explore Nk’Mip Desert in the summer due to the region’s relatively cold winters. 

Patagonian Desert, Argentina and Chile

The Patagonian Desert is South America’s largest desert and the seventh-largest in the world. It covers parts of southern Argentina and Chile, and is a cold desert, sometimes reaching a high temperature of 68 degrees Fahrenheit. The Patagonian Desert is home to two national parks: Torres del Paine National Park in Chile and Los Glaciares National Park in Argentina. Torres del Paine and Los Glaciares aren’t typical desert environments, but since the Patagonian is a cold desert, its landscape is different from that of most deserts. Before the Andes were formed, the Patagonian Desert was likely covered by temperate forests, so the region containing the desert, Patagonia, is extremely ecologically and geographically diverse. Torres del Paine National Park is known for its towering granite structures, which were shaped by glaciers. Los Glaciares is home to large glaciers, as well as scenic mountains, lakes and woods. The Cueva de las Manos, or “Cave of Hands,” is a series of caves in Argentinian Patagonia which are filled with paintings of hands dating back to 700 A.D., likely made by ancestors of the Tehuelche people. Tehuelche people live in Patagonia today, some still following a nomadic lifestyle. The best time to visit Patagonia is generally said to be in the summer (December to February), when the days are warm and the fauna is in full bloom, but there are merits to exploring the area at all times of year. 

Rachel Lynch

Rachel is a student at Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, NY currently taking a semester off. She plans to study Writing and Child Development. Rachel loves to travel and is inspired by the places she’s been and everywhere she wants to go. She hopes to educate people on social justice issues and the history and culture of travel destinations through her writing. 

Grappling with Sexism: Female Wrestlers in Mongolia

There’s an old legend in Mongolia: A woman wrestler once dressed up as a man and entered an all-male wrestling competition, defeating all challengers. She then pulled up her jacket and revealed her breasts, shocking everyone in attendance. From them on, all wrestlers were required to compete bare-chested, a failsafe to ensure that Mongolia’s prized “manly” tradition remained that way. While the legend may or may not be true, the practice of bare-chested wrestling in Mongolia is real, as is the practice of banning women from the sport. Despite achieving international fame in grappling, female Mongolian wrestlers are still unable to compete in their own native games.

Mongolian Wrestling. A. Omer Karamollaoglu. CC BY 2.0.

The Nadaam festival is held every year in July and is the single most anticipated sporting event in the country. Short for “Eriin Gurvan Naadam” (the three games of men), it is a celebration of the three traditional sports of Mongolia: wrestling, archery, and horseback riding. Nadaam dates back to the 13th century when Genghis Khan would throw celebrations for soldiers after successful military campaigns. After Kahn’s death, warlords continued the tradition, encouraging combat sports in order to prepare men for military service. Nadaam endured and developed throughout the centuries, and today, it is the Mongolian equivalent of the Super Bowl or World Cup. The games are typically held in July. Hundreds of small, county level events lead up to the main competition, which is held in the Mongolian capital of Ulaanbaatar. Wrestling is often featured as the centerpiece of the competition, and in Mongolian, is referred to as “Bokh,” which means “durability.”

Mongolia experienced a socialist revolution in 1921 that brought with it an emphasis on male-female equality and gradually these values led to women being allowed to compete in Nadaam, but only in archery and horse racing. To fill the void, female grapplers turned their attention to other grappling sports. Soronzonboldyn Battsetseg won a bronze medal for judo in the 2012 Olympics in London, while Sumiya Dorjsuren won a silver medal in judo in the 2016 Olympics and then went on to win gold in the World Judo Championships in 2017. Both women are national heroes in Mongolia, and yet, Nadaam remains closed to them.

Female archers preparing for Nadaam. Taylor Weidman. CC BY SA-3.0.

The fact that a sport has to be guarded against an entire group people suggests a fear that these people could be competent in the sport. Like the wrestler in the old legend, women grapplers like Soronzonboldyn and Sumiya are barred from competing in Bokh, not because they aren't capable, but because they are. Judo is a widely recognized grappling sport, practiced by professional athletes, law enforcement officials, and ordinary citizens in literally every country on the planet. It would not be a stretch to assume that the grit and skill required to master Judo would translate well to Mongolian Bokh, and that the current barring of women from Bokh in Mongolia seems to be more about maintaining a status quo than anything else. When female grapplers will have a chance to challenge this standard is anyone’s guess.



JONATHAN ROBINSON is an intern at CATALYST. He is a travel enthusiast always adding new people, places, experiences to his story. He hopes to use writing as a means to connect with others like himself.