Colors of Nadam
- Source: Global Times
- [22:54 July 21 2010]
- Comments
"This is to pray for success and happiness," Bamenghe said. "With the coming of summer, the grass growing well promises prosperity of the grasslands for the whole year."
Apart from the colorful opening ceremony, the festival will host a range of traditional contests including wrestling, archery and horse riding, as well as visits to local herdsmen's families who hold bonfire parties every evening.
According to Li Guang, a local guide on the Gegentala grasslands, more than 60 riders, 100 wrestlers and 50 archers will join in the competitions over the festival, most of them from local herdsmen's families.
"In the records of the Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368), Nadam was held as an annual gathering of Mongolian chiefs to award the heroes and punish the cowards, with competitors lining up for three traditional Nadam activities [wrestling, archery and horse riding]," Bamenghe said.
Horse races of 2 kilometers, 3 kilometers, 5 kilometers and 10 kilometers are all scheduled to take place, with the riders also demonstrating their skills, like standing in one stirrup or lying outstretched on their saddles while galloping all the way.
"The Mongolians love horses and horsemanship and they are referred to as the nationality on horseback," Bamenghe explained.
"Wrestling is also important for Mongolian people, who regard the best wrestlers as heroes, for in the past Mongolians had to battle with wild animals on the vast grasslands and only those with strength survived the harsh environment," he added.
For those without riding, wrestling or racing skills, the evening bonfires are a great way to enjoy the festivities.
"During Nadam, the daytime is quite busy, full of flags and horses. I prefer to watch the sunset on the grasslands, the lower sky becoming orange and you can feel the peace and satisfaction at that time, then the parties will start, bringing a joyous atmosphere," commented Yun Hongmei, a Mongolian who lives in Hohhot.
Traditional songs usually accompany the evening festivities, including the "Urtiin duu" or "long song" of Mongolia that was inscribed on UNESCO's representative list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2008. Mongolian dances also have distinctive characteristics, with light steps, fast moving shoulders, twisting wrist movements and a quick rhythm. "Andai Dance," "Wine Cup and Bowls Dance" and "Chopsticks Dance" are widely recognized as the most typical Mongolian-style dances.
"The culture of the long song is connected with a slow pastoral lifestyle, which is quite different from today's fast-moving society," Bamenghe commented. "The spirit of Nadam is changing through the years with the transformation of society. It is more like a tourism festival nowadays, but I hope the essence of traditional culture can still been preserved by the participation of local Mongolians and tourists together," he said.
