CNN
In many travelers’ minds, Mongolia conjures images of vast plains, nomadic gers, desert landscapes and one of the most famous warriors of all time, Genghis Khan.
Though the famed first khagan of the Mongol Empire died in 1227, his legendary pursuits continue to reverberate across this beautiful land. The country’s most important annual event, the Naadam festival, is no exception.
Nowadays it’s the event of the year, a nationwide celebration of sports and arts attended by thousands of Mongolians and a hot draw for international tourists, too. Given its popularity, travelers looking to experience this one will want to start looking ahead to July 2024 now.
Here’s a quick guide to the action and how to see it.
What is the Naadam festival?
The event is often referred to as “Eriin Gurvan Naadam” – which translates to “Three Manly Games.”
Mongolian native Buyandelger Ganbaatar, country director of tour company Nomadic Expeditions, tells CNN that Naadam actually has over 2,000 years of history and it was originally a means of preparing for war, as Mongolia-dwelling tribes regularly raided each other.
“Naadam means ‘games’ in the Mongolian language and it includes three main competitions, Mongolian wrestling, archery and horse racing,” he explains.
It’s also the largest gathering in Mongolia, with 21 provinces all taking time off to celebrate their traditional nomadic culture and heritage, “from the capital city of Ulaanbaatar to the remote towns of the Gobi.”
The main official event takes place July 11-13 in the capital city, in Ulaanbaatar’s National Stadium.
“During the festival, it is possible to see pride, joy and happiness on every face,” says Ganbaatar. “Naadam has become (part of) the national identity of Mongols.”
It all started with Genghis Khan
It wasn’t until 1921 that Naadam was officially declared an annual national holiday in Mongolia.
For hundreds of years though, this trio of events – archery, horse riding and wrestling – was believed to have been integral to building important skills for the region’s nomads as well as Mongolian soldiers.
