Naadam- Celebrating Mongols Horsemanship 蒙古騎士比賽

Nadaam Holiday

The celebration of Naadam began in the 12th century, originally used to demonstrate Mongolian’s military power. Since the 17th century, Naadam has been celebrated on Mongolian Revolution Day, July 11th, commemorating Mongolia’s independence from China. Today the holiday is extended to three to five days.

The event was originally called “Eriin Gurvan Naadam”, meaning “Three Manly Games”, including wrestling, archery, and horseback riding.

The main wrestling event begins right after the opening ceremony. There are no age, time, or weight limits, and the rules are simpler- if any part except for the arms and legs of the wrestler touches the ground, they lose. This goes on for two days until one winner remains among the 500 participants.

The second sport is archery. Since Ghengis Khan, Mongolians have been famous for their archery skills. There are three kinds of archery in the game: Buriat, Khakh, and Uriankhai, each with different bows, arrows, and distances.

Last but not least, horseback riding. This sport is part of the country’s heritage, their nomadic life made the Mongols great hunters, with their exceptional skills with bows and horses. This event is also divided into six categories, depending on the age of the horse and the distance of the race.