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Land of the Blue Sky
Leaving the congested Ulaanbaatar, home to about half of Mongolia's three million inhabitants, feels like stepping onto another planet.
In the suburbs of the country's largest city, residential buildings and factories are rapidly giving way to a desolate landscape that stretches to the horizon, resembling the moon.
Under the perpetually blue sky, as Mongolia is often called, the land is virtually cloudless year-round. But the abundant sunshine is deceptive. Much of Mongolia's landscape is harsh, consisting of vast grasslands dotted with sparse trees and man-made structures, allowing the wind to swirl across the surface.
The weather is particularly harsh in winter, when Siberian winds from the north bring extreme cold, causing temperatures to frequently drop below -40 degrees Celsius.oC.
Frozen solid in the ice
Located in northern Mongolia, near the border with Russia, Lake Khövsgöl is the country's largest freshwater lake, spanning 2,620 square kilometers.2and at its deepest point, it reaches a depth of 233 meters.
The crystal-clear water has earned the lake the nickname "the emerald jewel of Mongolia." For at least six months each year, the lake freezes over with a layer of ice several meters thick, more than enough for people, livestock, and even vehicles to pass over.
Before each cold day begins, the locals climb to the top of a sacred rock to pay homage to the lake god. Once the god of Lake Khövsgöl is pleased, the water becomes safe to descend into.
Breath of Life
In the stillness of the morning, the air here is filled with crackling and popping sounds. Lake Khövsgöl looks as if it's frozen solid, but the ice actually has a breath, a life of its own.
As the temperature warms, the ice sheet gradually melts, expanding and creating cracks on the lake's surface, then freezes again at sunset, forming intricate, spiderweb-like fissures.
Ancient lifestyle
Mongolia has an area roughly equal to that of Western Europe, but a population 130 times smaller, making it the most sparsely populated country in the world.
Life outside of urban areas remains largely unchanged from centuries ago, when wild horses galloped across endless grasslands.
The rapidly developing copper, coal, and precious metals mining industries have transformed the economy over the past few decades, but agriculture and livestock farming remain fundamental to the lives of the Mongolian people. Families living on the steppe rely on their livestock for sustenance, transportation, food, and survival.
Extremely skillful
Many livestock-grazing families lead a semi-nomadic lifestyle, herding their horses or reindeer to areas with lush pastures while remaining close to a village for access to healthcare and other community needs.
Because of the wind that blew throughout the winter, the shepherds sought to set up camp in a sheltered spot in a valley or near a hill to avoid the cold. They could hardly live such a nomadic life without a shelter.ger, that is, the mobile home of the Mongolian nomads.
The circular house design helps togerIt provides insulation from the relentless drafts and helps distribute heat evenly from the wood-burning fireplace, the heart of the home both practically and spiritually.GerIt was designed to accommodate about five people for hours at a time, allowing families to move quickly with their livestock.
Sharing difficulties
Horses play a particularly important role in Mongolian identity. Without fences or stables to keep them confined, domestic horses live in herds, moving freely from one pasture to another. During the harsh winter months, their survival is a constant concern for many.
Weather conditionsdzuz- That is, droughts in the summer followed by extreme cold in the winter that cause grasslands to shrink drastically - which used to happen only about once every ten years, but recently have become more frequent and severe.
Come together
Despite the difficulties they face, people still find ways to honor winter and celebrate their survival.
Every year in March, as spring arrives, Mongolians from all over the country flock to Lake Khövsgöl to attend the Khövsgöl Ice Festival. Getting there is not easy. Few roads are paved, and most people travel from afar by navigating rough, unmarked paths.
Bring a bottletsai- a mixture of water, milk, black or green tea, and a pinch of salt - and a packetkhuushuurFreshly fried (a type of meat-filled pastry), families gather where the lake is frozen over, meters deep, to celebrate the end of the most difficult time of the year.
Traditional game
The festival has become popular with tourists in recent years. Over the course of two days, people can observe and participate in traditional Mongolian games.
On the first day of the festival, horse-drawn carriages race back and forth across the frozen lake, and visitors compete in traditional games such as tug-of-war and archery.
The second day was dedicated to holding major competitions such as chariot racing and stone sculpture making.
Celebration
Visitors come from different provinces, from different tribes, ethnic groups, and religious communities to live in thegerThey set up structures on and around the lake, collectively expressing their deep appreciation for nature. Despite facing many difficulties during the winter months, everyone's general mood was cheerful.
At night, before the shaman calls the crowd around the celebratory bonfire, attendees gather around tables laden with snacks such asaaruul(dried cheese curds) andbootsog(fried batter).Tsailaid out in abundance along with the bowls.airag(fermented mare's milk) for people to pass around and drink.
The night outside was cold, but the air inside was warm.gerVery cozy.
