“Mongolians should be grateful for their history… it’s a resource of who we are, and what we went through over the years. I believe all people feel that Naadam is important.”
– Davaasuren, a 25-year-old monk living at Gandagchilen Monastery.
Mongolia’s Naadam festival, a UNESCO-recognised Intangible Heritage asset, commemorates the “three sports of men”: archery, horseracing and traditional Bökh wrestling. Initiated by Genghis Khan in 1206, it became an official holiday in 1922 and has been held almost every year since — until Covid-19 lockdowns in 2020 and 2021 derailed the tradition. In 2020, Naadam was held as usual in the provinces, but the…
