{"id":3643,"date":"2018-07-11T21:00:06","date_gmt":"2018-07-11T11:00:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.com.au\/blog\/?p=3643"},"modified":"2025-06-05T16:49:56","modified_gmt":"2025-06-05T16:49:56","slug":"experience-mongolias-naadam-festival","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/experience-mongolias-naadam-festival\/","title":{"rendered":"Experience Mongolia\u2019s Naadam Festival"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><strong>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/mongolia\/tours\/mongolia-naadam-festival.htm\">Naadam Festival<\/a> is Mongolia\u2019s biggest celebration. Mongolia&#8217;s population is sparsely distributed, but many live in the lively capital of Ulaanbaatar. The main festivities are held here, but every province throughout the country also celebrates. For travellers to Mongolia, the weather is usually warm and sunny, perfect for celebrating!<\/strong><\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_3723\" style=\"width: 880px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Naadam-28.jpg\" class=\"broken_link\"><noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3723\" class=\"wp-image-3723 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Naadam-28.jpg\" alt=\"Wrestling, one of the three manly games\" width=\"870\" height=\"483\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Naadam-28.jpg 870w, https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Naadam-28-300x167.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Naadam-28-768x426.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 870px) 100vw, 870px\"><\/noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3723\" class=\"wp-image-3723 size-full lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20870%20483%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Wrestling, one of the three manly games\" width=\"870\" height=\"483\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20870%20483%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 870w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 870px) 100vw, 870px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Naadam-28.jpg 870w, https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Naadam-28-300x167.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Naadam-28-768x426.jpg 768w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Naadam-28.jpg\"><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-3723\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Wrestling, one of the three manly games<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_3722\" style=\"width: 880px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Naadam-2.jpg\" class=\"broken_link\"><noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3722\" class=\"wp-image-3722 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Naadam-2.jpg\" alt=\"Naadam Festival Opening Ceremony\" width=\"870\" height=\"483\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Naadam-2.jpg 870w, https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Naadam-2-300x167.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Naadam-2-768x426.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 870px) 100vw, 870px\"><\/noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3722\" class=\"wp-image-3722 size-full lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20870%20483%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Naadam Festival Opening Ceremony\" width=\"870\" height=\"483\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20870%20483%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 870w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 870px) 100vw, 870px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Naadam-2.jpg 870w, https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Naadam-2-300x167.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Naadam-2-768x426.jpg 768w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Naadam-2.jpg\"><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-3722\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Naadam Festival Opening Ceremony<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_3718\" style=\"width: 880px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/DSC_2318-2.jpg\" class=\"broken_link\"><noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3718\" class=\"wp-image-3718 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/DSC_2318-2.jpg\" alt=\"Naadam Festival Opening Ceremony\" width=\"870\" height=\"483\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/DSC_2318-2.jpg 870w, https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/DSC_2318-2-300x167.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/DSC_2318-2-768x426.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 870px) 100vw, 870px\"><\/noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3718\" class=\"wp-image-3718 size-full lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20870%20483%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Naadam Festival Opening Ceremony\" width=\"870\" height=\"483\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20870%20483%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 870w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 870px) 100vw, 870px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/DSC_2318-2.jpg 870w, https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/DSC_2318-2-300x167.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/DSC_2318-2-768x426.jpg 768w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/DSC_2318-2.jpg\"><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-3718\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Naadam Festival Opening Ceremony<\/p><\/div>\n<h6><strong>What does the Naadam Festival celebrate?<\/strong><\/h6>\n<p>The Naadam Festival takes place each year from July 11 to 13, and usually lasts a day or two on either side. It is a celebration of national independence and a tribute to the nomadic ways of the Genghis Khan era. The annual festival honours the cultural heritage through traditional sports. The local people compete in the \u2018three manly games\u2019 of archery, horse racing, and wrestling.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_3720\" style=\"width: 880px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Festival-of-National-Dress-Sukhbaatar-Sq-UB-12.jpg\" class=\"broken_link\"><noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3720\" class=\"wp-image-3720 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Festival-of-National-Dress-Sukhbaatar-Sq-UB-12.jpg\" alt=\"Colourful traditional dress\" width=\"870\" height=\"483\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Festival-of-National-Dress-Sukhbaatar-Sq-UB-12.jpg 870w, https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Festival-of-National-Dress-Sukhbaatar-Sq-UB-12-300x167.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Festival-of-National-Dress-Sukhbaatar-Sq-UB-12-768x426.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 870px) 100vw, 870px\"><\/noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3720\" class=\"wp-image-3720 size-full lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20870%20483%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Colourful traditional dress\" width=\"870\" height=\"483\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20870%20483%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 870w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 870px) 100vw, 870px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Festival-of-National-Dress-Sukhbaatar-Sq-UB-12.jpg 870w, https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Festival-of-National-Dress-Sukhbaatar-Sq-UB-12-300x167.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Festival-of-National-Dress-Sukhbaatar-Sq-UB-12-768x426.jpg 768w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Festival-of-National-Dress-Sukhbaatar-Sq-UB-12.jpg\"><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-3720\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Colourful traditional dress<\/p><\/div>\n<h2><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/mongolia\/tours\/mongolia-and-the-naadam-festival.htm\">Mongolia<\/a> gained independence from China in 1921.<\/h2>\n<p>The Naadam Festival then became a celebration, although the sports themselves have been ingrained in Mongolian culture for centuries. During the Qing Dynasty, monks were prohibited from participating in the now traditional Naadam sports to prevent the Mongolian population from becoming too strong. They would secretly rebel against this by holding mini Naadam events at weddings.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Why the \u2018three manly games\u2019?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Wrestling, horse racing, and archery have an essential place in Mongolian cultural history, dating back to the times of Genghis Khan. He chose men for his army who were patient, strong, flexible, with excellent eyesight and hand-eye coordination. These qualities were tested and strengthened through participation in these three sports, and it is believed that his army&#8217;s success was due to these skills.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>What makes the Naadam Festival so spectacular?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Mongolia\u2019s countryside has boundless grass steppes and also the vibrant red of the Gobi Desert. The plains are spotted with Ger camps, and the nomadic way of life is alive and well today. Travellers join the local people to cheer on the horses, appreciate the dignified wrestlers in their costumes, and marvel at the long archery bows, based on Genghis Khan\u2019s warriors\u2019 style of bows.<\/p>\n<h2>The Three Manly Games&#8230;<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Horse racing<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Racers are divided into six categories based on their age and race, ranging from 10-26 km. What will surprise you is that the jockeys are usually very young, aged between 5 and 13 years. They not only ride their beloved horses but also celebrate them with a special song called \u201c<em>giingoo<\/em>\u201d to elevate their spirits. Horse and jockey teams train for months, and the horses are treated with much reverence and care.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_3717\" style=\"width: 880px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/7080848477_2559893ac6_o.jpg\" class=\"broken_link\"><noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3717\" class=\"wp-image-3717 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/7080848477_2559893ac6_o.jpg\" alt=\"Jockeys are very young\" width=\"870\" height=\"483\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/7080848477_2559893ac6_o.jpg 870w, https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/7080848477_2559893ac6_o-300x167.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/7080848477_2559893ac6_o-768x426.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 870px) 100vw, 870px\"><\/noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3717\" class=\"wp-image-3717 size-full lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20870%20483%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Jockeys are very young\" width=\"870\" height=\"483\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20870%20483%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 870w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 870px) 100vw, 870px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/7080848477_2559893ac6_o.jpg 870w, https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/7080848477_2559893ac6_o-300x167.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/7080848477_2559893ac6_o-768x426.jpg 768w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/7080848477_2559893ac6_o.jpg\"><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-3717\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jockeys are very young<\/p><\/div>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Wrestling<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Mongolian wrestling is unique in that there are no weight divisions. They perform a traditional dance before and after their bout, imitating mighty eagles, hawks, and vultures as an expression of elegance and strength (and as a warm-up).<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_3724\" style=\"width: 880px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Naadam-33.jpg\" class=\"broken_link\"><noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3724\" class=\"wp-image-3724 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Naadam-33.jpg\" alt=\"Pre-wrestling routine\" width=\"870\" height=\"483\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Naadam-33.jpg 870w, https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Naadam-33-300x167.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Naadam-33-768x426.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 870px) 100vw, 870px\"><\/noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3724\" class=\"wp-image-3724 size-full lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20870%20483%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Pre-wrestling routine\" width=\"870\" height=\"483\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20870%20483%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 870w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 870px) 100vw, 870px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Naadam-33.jpg 870w, https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Naadam-33-300x167.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Naadam-33-768x426.jpg 768w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Naadam-33.jpg\"><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-3724\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pre-wrestling routine<\/p><\/div>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Archery<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>All archers wear traditional costumes and compete in three categories: Khalkh, Buriad, and Uriankhai, which utilise different bows and arrows and have varying target distances. Khalh is the name of the majority group of Mongolia. Teams have 10 members. Each archer has four arrows, and the team must hit 33 &#8220;sur&#8221;, a small cylinder used as the target. Men shoot their arrows from a distance of 75m, while women shoot from 65m.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_3725\" style=\"width: 880px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Naadam-Archery-26.jpg\" class=\"broken_link\"><noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3725\" class=\"wp-image-3725 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Naadam-Archery-26.jpg\" alt width=\"870\" height=\"483\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Naadam-Archery-26.jpg 870w, https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Naadam-Archery-26-300x167.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Naadam-Archery-26-768x426.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 870px) 100vw, 870px\"><\/noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3725\" class=\"wp-image-3725 size-full lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20870%20483%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt width=\"870\" height=\"483\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20870%20483%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 870w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 870px) 100vw, 870px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Naadam-Archery-26.jpg 870w, https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Naadam-Archery-26-300x167.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Naadam-Archery-26-768x426.jpg 768w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Naadam-Archery-26.jpg\"><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-3725\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Women&#8217;s archery<\/p><\/div>\n<h2>Also, don&#8217;t miss out on watching&#8230;<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Anklebone shooting<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Not one of the \u2018manly games\u2019 but very popular, this game involves flicking a small rectangular <em>soum<\/em> at a stack of anklebones nine tokhoi (4.72m) away. Anklebones of sheep have been a source of play for Mongolian children for centuries, and UNESCO officially listed Mongolian anklebone shooting on the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list in 2014.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_3726\" style=\"width: 880px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Naadam-Knuckle-Bone-Shooting-4.jpg\" class=\"broken_link\"><noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3726\" class=\"wp-image-3726 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Naadam-Knuckle-Bone-Shooting-4.jpg\" alt width=\"870\" height=\"483\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Naadam-Knuckle-Bone-Shooting-4.jpg 870w, https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Naadam-Knuckle-Bone-Shooting-4-300x167.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Naadam-Knuckle-Bone-Shooting-4-768x426.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 870px) 100vw, 870px\"><\/noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3726\" class=\"wp-image-3726 size-full lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20870%20483%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt width=\"870\" height=\"483\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20870%20483%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 870w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 870px) 100vw, 870px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Naadam-Knuckle-Bone-Shooting-4.jpg 870w, https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Naadam-Knuckle-Bone-Shooting-4-300x167.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Naadam-Knuckle-Bone-Shooting-4-768x426.jpg 768w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Naadam-Knuckle-Bone-Shooting-4.jpg\"><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-3726\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Intense concentration required!<\/p><\/div>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Deeltei Mongol Parade<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The Deeltei Mongol Parade marches around Central Square in Ulaanbaatar, with citizens wearing traditional costumes and headdresses.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_3719\" style=\"width: 880px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Festival-of-National-Dress-Sukhbaatar-Sq-UB-4.jpg\" class=\"broken_link\"><noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3719\" class=\"wp-image-3719 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Festival-of-National-Dress-Sukhbaatar-Sq-UB-4.jpg\" alt=\"National Dress\" width=\"870\" height=\"483\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Festival-of-National-Dress-Sukhbaatar-Sq-UB-4.jpg 870w, https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Festival-of-National-Dress-Sukhbaatar-Sq-UB-4-300x167.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Festival-of-National-Dress-Sukhbaatar-Sq-UB-4-768x426.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 870px) 100vw, 870px\"><\/noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3719\" class=\"wp-image-3719 size-full lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20870%20483%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"National Dress\" width=\"870\" height=\"483\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20870%20483%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 870w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 870px) 100vw, 870px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Festival-of-National-Dress-Sukhbaatar-Sq-UB-4.jpg 870w, https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Festival-of-National-Dress-Sukhbaatar-Sq-UB-4-300x167.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Festival-of-National-Dress-Sukhbaatar-Sq-UB-4-768x426.jpg 768w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Festival-of-National-Dress-Sukhbaatar-Sq-UB-4.jpg\"><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-3719\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">National Dress<\/p><\/div>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Traditional food<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Around Central Stadium, get amongst the locals and try the Naadam Khuushuur \u2013 a crispy, deep-fried flat dumpling\u2014also, sample airag (fermented mare\u2019s milk), which is a staple drink of Mongolia.<\/p>\n<h2>Our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/mongolia\/tours\/mongolia-and-the-naadam-festival.htm\">Mongolia &amp; the Naadam Festival tour<\/a> books up well in advance,&nbsp;so secure your spot today.<\/h2>\n<h2>Keep Reading! Check out our&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/special-offers\/\">Special Offers<\/a>&nbsp;and some of our most popular blogs:<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/5-reasons-to-visit-mongolia\/\">5 Reasons to Visit Mongolia<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/asia-bucket-list-11-alternatives-asia\/\">Asia Bucket List: 11 Ultimate Alternatives in Asia<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Naadam Festival is Mongolia\u2019s biggest celebration. Mongolia&#8217;s population is sparsely distributed, but many live in the lively capital of Ulaanbaatar. The main festivities are held here, but every province throughout the country also celebrates. For travellers to Mongolia, the weather is usually warm and sunny, perfect for celebrating! What does the Naadam Festival celebrate? [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3721,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"image","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"spay_email":""},"categories":[7,208,157,231],"tags":[272,121,223,130],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/HEADER-DSC_2606-2.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3643"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3643"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3643\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5731,"href":"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3643\/revisions\/5731"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3721"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3643"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3643"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3643"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}