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Nomadic culture blends harmoniously with nature.
Mongolia, nicknamed "the land of endless blue skies," is a captivating destination with its pristine natural beauty and unique nomadic culture. However, winter in Mongolia presents harsh challenges, as Siberian winds from the north bring bone-chilling cold, pushing temperatures down to -40 degrees Celsius.
During the winter months, Mongolia is draped in a blanket of white, its vast steppes transforming into expansive seas of ice. This biting cold not only affects the lives of the nomadic people but is also an integral part of Mongolian identity.
Mongolia in winter is a magical world, with snow and ice covering the steppes and lakes frozen like mirrors.
However, it is precisely in these harsh conditions that the Mongolian people become even more resilient and courageous. They learn to adapt to nature, utilizing what the land provides to survive and thrive. Their thick, traditional clothing, their hot, flavorful dishes from the steppe, their vibrant winter festivals... all are testaments to the optimistic and life-loving spirit of the Mongolian people.
Leaving Ulaanbaatar, the bustling capital with over 1.5 million inhabitants and its busy streets, you might feel like you've stepped onto another planet. Just driving out of Mongolia's largest city, the towering apartment buildings and noisy factories quickly disappear, giving way to a completely different landscape: a vast desert stretching to the horizon, where space seems still and time slows down.
In winter, when temperatures plummet and snow blanket the landscape, Mongolia transforms into a different world, magical and enchanting like a fairy tale.
The lives of Mongolian nomadic families are a harmonious symphony between humans and nature. They live a semi-nomadic lifestyle, moving with their herds of cattle and horses to the lush green pastures to graze. However, they also maintain a life near a village, where they can help each other when needed. When winter arrives, and the cold winds from Siberia blow in, they seek a warm shelter in a valley or near a hill to pitch their tents, preparing for the harsh months ahead.
The lives of Mongolian nomadic families are a harmonious symphony between humans and nature. They live a semi-nomadic lifestyle, moving with their herds of cattle and horses to the lush green pastures to graze. However, they also maintain a life near a village, where they can help each other when needed. When winter arrives, and the cold winds from Siberia blow in, they seek a warm shelter in a valley or near a hill to pitch their tents, preparing for the harsh months ahead.
This is not only a place to explore nature but also an opportunity to immerse yourself in unique cultural festivals.
The nomadic lifestyle of the Mongolians is closely associated with the "ger," a mobile, circular house that is warm inside thanks to a fireplace located in the center. A ger is suitable for a group of five people and can be assembled in an hour. This allows families to move quickly and frequently according to the foraging needs of their livestock.
The nomadic lifestyle of the Mongolians is closely associated with the "ger".
Horses are not just animals, but indispensable companions in the nomadic life of the Mongolian people. They are symbols of freedom, strength, and courage. Horses live in herds, roaming freely across the vast steppes, unconstrained by fences or cramped stables. They are an inseparable part of Mongolian nature, and the people here always hold them in special respect.
Horses are associated with nomadic lifestyles and culture.
Winter festivals in Mongolia
According to SCMP, the Mongolian Winter Festival, a first-ever event celebrating the ancient nomadic culture, has been incredibly vibrant and lively throughout the past week. Amidst the majestic snow-covered landscape, the festival offered a unique cultural space where age-old traditions were vividly and colorfully recreated. Once a year, people across Mongolia celebrate the end of the harsh winter by holding a festival on the ice.
Despite facing many difficulties, people always find ways to honor winter and celebrate that they have survived.
The festival lasts seven days during the harsh winter, when temperatures can drop below -40 degrees Celsius. This is also Mongolia's strategy to boost tourism and promote the country's unique nomadic culture to visitors.
In the freezing weather, the winter winds relentlessly blow around the sparkling ice sculptures as visitors explore the traditional round yurts – showcasing the unique cultural characteristics of different regions of Mongolia.
At the festival, visitors have the opportunity to participate in the daily activities of the local people.
Despite facing numerous hardships, the people always find ways to honor winter and celebrate their survival. In March, as spring begins, Mongolians from all over flock to Lake Khövsgöl to celebrate a two-day ice festival. Getting to this area is not easy, as there are few access roads, most of which are rough and lack signposts.
Families bring a jar of tsai (a mixture of milk, water, black or green tea, and salt), and a bag of khuushuur (hot fried meat buns) and gather together on the frozen lake to celebrate the end of the harshest time of the year.
This is a rare opportunity for visitors to truly immerse themselves in the life of a nomadic community, where nature and people blend together in harmony.
"Nothing particularly surprised me, but... it was really great to see these works of art that are so rich in traditional culture. This is a wonderful way to remind ourselves that our culture is truly rich," shared Darkhan Altantsetseg, a resident of Ulaanbaatar.
In recent years, the Khövsgöl Ice Festival has gradually attracted the attention of international tourists. On the first day, horse-drawn carriages race across the frozen lake, and locals and tourists compete in traditional games such as archery and tug-of-war. The second day is dedicated to larger-scale competitions such as carriage races and ice sculpting.
Visiting Mongolia in winter is not just about sightseeing; it's about experiencing a completely different way of life.
Mongolian people and visitors from various provinces, tribes, ethnic groups, and religions gathered in ger tents erected around Lake Khövsgöl, celebrating and paying homage to Mother Nature for bringing them together. Despite the hardships encountered throughout the winter, everyone at the festival was filled with joy.
At night, before the shaman summoned the crowd to the main campfire, everyone gathered around tables laden with snacks such as aaruul (dried cheese) or boortsog (breaded fried dough).
According to World Bank data, a quarter of Mongolia's 3.4 million people still maintain a nomadic lifestyle, but hundreds of thousands have migrated to the capital Ulaanbaatar in the last two decades, so the preservation of nomadic culture has diminished to some extent.
"My children were born and raised in Ulaanbaatar, so they're not really familiar with nomadic traditions and culture. Therefore, this festival is a great opportunity for them to learn, and I'm very happy to have brought them here," shared Mr. Byambasure, a visitor to the festival with his two daughters.
