Plan Your Trip Naadam - Mongolia - page 81

Ulaanbaatar Naadam
Countryside naadams are easy: just turn up and enjoy. In Ulaanbaatar, the Naadam needs
a little more preparation.
Dates While Naadam officially kicks off on 11 July, other events get underway several
days before. Uriankhai- and Buriat-style archery is held on 7 and 8 July while a children's
archery tournament is held on 9 July. On 10 July, two horse races are held, the archery
tournament officially begins, as does the ankle-bone shooting competition.
Banner march The festival officially begins at 9.30am on 11 July at Chinggis Khaan
(Sükhbaatar) Sq when an honour guard marches the nine horse-tail banners to the stadi-
um.
Opening ceremony The opening ceremony, which starts at 11am at the Naadam Stadi-
um, includes a speech from the president and a 40-minute show featuring traditional mu-
sic, dancing and colourful costumes.
Wrestling The wrestling starts in the stadium about 20 minutes after the ceremony and
continues all day.
Horse races The horse racing is held about 40km west of the city on an open plain called
Hui Doloon Khutag. Buses and minivans go there from the road north of the Naadam Sta-
dium for around T1000. The races can be disappointing from a spectator's point of view
because although the race lasts about two hours you can only see the finish. Traffic to
and from the racecourse can also be horrendous. What is nice about the event is not so
much the race itself but the generally festive atmosphere around the horse-race grounds.
Other events Most people file out of the stadium after the opening ceremony to catch a
little archery or ankle-bone shooting. Around the stadium are carnival games and rides for
kids, as well as food tents. On the night of 11 July, a concert and fireworks display are
held on Chinggis Khaan Sq.
Closing ceremony In comparison with the opening ceremony, almost nothing happens at
the closing ceremony. The winning wrestler is awarded, the ceremonial horse banners are
marched away, and everyone goes home. It is held at about 8pm on 12 July, but the exact
time depends on when the wrestling finishes.
Post-Naadam events Quite a few events now happen on 13 July at the horse-race area.
A mini-naadam is held for the benefit of trainers; you'll see cultural performances and
wrestling. You could even ride your own horse to the racing grounds. Stepperiders ( Click
here ) does four-day trips from its base near Bogd Khan Uul.
Program To find out what is going on during the festival, look for the events program in
the two English-language newspapers.
Information The website http://naadam.viahistoria.com has pictures and historical inform-
ation on naadam and the associated sporting events.