Few nations have had a more brutal and lengthy history as the Mongol people in central Asia. Squeezed between China and Russia, the alternating positions of occupied land and conquering victors define the character of this hearty people. One can see parts of many cultures throughout the land on Mongolian tours, providing access to an exotic land unlike any other.
With Russia as a northern neighbor and China to its south, the history of the region is long and filled with a back and forth tug of war of challenge and occupation. At some periods China ruled Mongolia, and at least once, during the Yuan dynasty, Mongolia ruled China. In 1924 the country was occupied by the Soviet Union, and when the Soviet Union collapsed and they departed they decades of brutality, they left very little in the way of infrastructure or wealth.
The traditional lifestyle of the Mongol people is nomadic, and still fully half its people live this way. They travel the vast and beautiful steppes with their portable houses, circular tents called Gers, and their animals who must travel widely to graze on the high altitude grasses. The nation has the highest per capita animal population on earth, and they survive almost exclusively from what they can get from the herd.
Over a third of the population have crowded together in the capital city of Ulaan Baatar, which has all the trappings of a metropolis. There are shops, banks restaurants and hotels just like in any other country, which also includes the concomitant seedy nightlife, for those inclined. But the real beauty of the nation is to be observed outside the city limits of the capital.
Historically the people who practiced religion were free to choose from many, including Islam and Christianity, but by the 12th century Tibetan Buddhist had become predominant, with ornate monasteries scattered throughout the land. During the Russian occupation religion was actively and brutally suppressed. Tens of thousands lost their lives in the purges and most of the beautiful golden artifacts were looted and taken back to Russia.
When the people get together on a number of occasions during the year, they hold festivals, none larger than the summer games called Nadaam. Horse racing, archery and Wrestling are the primary sports, with this style of wrestling being the origin to Japanese Sumo. Not only did Sumo originate here, the highest ranked Sumo wrestlers in Japan have been from Mongolia.
One decidedly unique aspect life for these people live is their diet, which consists almost exclusively of meat and dairy products. There are more animals per capita than anywhere else in the world, and they have learned to care for them and survive off from products derived from them. The nomadic lifestyle allows each family to graze its herd over a wide area, where they graze on the tall grasses.
If one is to make a trip, one could hardly do better than taking Mongolian tours and witnessing one of the remaining unadulterated cultures. The colorful costumes exciting festivals, and fascinating Gers, make for a lot to see. Once one has gone beyond the borders of the capital, out into the country and looked back the only question is why did they build that city?
With Russia as a northern neighbor and China to its south, the history of the region is long and filled with a back and forth tug of war of challenge and occupation. At some periods China ruled Mongolia, and at least once, during the Yuan dynasty, Mongolia ruled China. In 1924 the country was occupied by the Soviet Union, and when the Soviet Union collapsed and they departed they decades of brutality, they left very little in the way of infrastructure or wealth.
The traditional lifestyle of the Mongol people is nomadic, and still fully half its people live this way. They travel the vast and beautiful steppes with their portable houses, circular tents called Gers, and their animals who must travel widely to graze on the high altitude grasses. The nation has the highest per capita animal population on earth, and they survive almost exclusively from what they can get from the herd.
Over a third of the population have crowded together in the capital city of Ulaan Baatar, which has all the trappings of a metropolis. There are shops, banks restaurants and hotels just like in any other country, which also includes the concomitant seedy nightlife, for those inclined. But the real beauty of the nation is to be observed outside the city limits of the capital.
Historically the people who practiced religion were free to choose from many, including Islam and Christianity, but by the 12th century Tibetan Buddhist had become predominant, with ornate monasteries scattered throughout the land. During the Russian occupation religion was actively and brutally suppressed. Tens of thousands lost their lives in the purges and most of the beautiful golden artifacts were looted and taken back to Russia.
When the people get together on a number of occasions during the year, they hold festivals, none larger than the summer games called Nadaam. Horse racing, archery and Wrestling are the primary sports, with this style of wrestling being the origin to Japanese Sumo. Not only did Sumo originate here, the highest ranked Sumo wrestlers in Japan have been from Mongolia.
One decidedly unique aspect life for these people live is their diet, which consists almost exclusively of meat and dairy products. There are more animals per capita than anywhere else in the world, and they have learned to care for them and survive off from products derived from them. The nomadic lifestyle allows each family to graze its herd over a wide area, where they graze on the tall grasses.
If one is to make a trip, one could hardly do better than taking Mongolian tours and witnessing one of the remaining unadulterated cultures. The colorful costumes exciting festivals, and fascinating Gers, make for a lot to see. Once one has gone beyond the borders of the capital, out into the country and looked back the only question is why did they build that city?
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