Naadam Festival

Naadam - Men's three Games
Mongolians started to celebrate Naadam since the 1921 Revolution to commemorate the great victory. Naadam is held every summer between 11 - 13 July at the Central Stadium in Ulaanbaatar as well as in every single provinces, towns, and villages all over Mongolia. People all the country come to Mongolia on these days to visit, participate and enjoy in the Naadam Festival. The three games of men are: Wrestling, Archery and Horse racing.

Wrestling
Wrestling is the most popular sport in Mongolia and all people, including women, know and like to watch wrestling. Mongolian wrestling is similar to that of Sumo wrestling. The wrestlers are greatly respected and honored people in Mongolia, and there are many traditions and rituals to do with wrestling and wrestlers. Wrestling culture is very hierarchal as well as materialistic.

Horse Race
Horseracing is one of the most rejoiced and an honored tradition in Mongolia and therefore it is every one's favorite part of the Naadam. Many horsemen and horse-trainers travel as far as 1000 km with their fastest horses to the capital city, to participate in the main race.
There are 6 (six) races for horses of different ages (Daaga (1 year), Shudlen (2 years) Hyazaalan (4 years), Soyolon (5 years), Ih nas (above 7 years old) and Azarga (Stallion)) and each race has about 400 horses in average participating. Normally, 6 to12 year old boys and girls are jockeys (wearing colorful dresses with numbers) and some of them race without any saddles for the sake of being lighter and more convenient for the horse. At the start of the each race, jockeys sing a special song, while riding, named Giin-Goo in order to hearten the horses to speed along. The horses recognize this song as the sign to race, because when they were being trained they are introduced to it. The race distance varies depending on the age of the horses. Daaga, being the youngest, race a distance of 15 km, Ih nas race the longest distance of 30 km, whereas stallions race 28 km. The total distance that the racehorses run that day is actually double the above distance, because the racehorses trot to the starting point and then return to the finish galloping at full speed. They say that the average race speed of Mongolian racehorses is 60 - 80 km/hour.

Archery
although it is named "Men's 3 games", women participate in archery competition. Archers use bent bow made out of layered horn (of wild mountain goats), bark and wood. Usually arrows are made from willow and feathers are from vultures and other birds of prey. The distance from the stand to the target is different for men and women. Men shot from 75 meters and women from 60 m. After each shot judges standing near the target sing Uuhai song and raises their hands in the air to show how good was the shot. An archer who shot the target more than others becomes Champion or Mergen.

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