Nadam Fair of the Mongol(那达慕大会 Nadamu Dahui)

Date: between July and August

In Mongolian, Nadam means recreation or game. The traditional annual festival is a grand gathering of the Mongolian people during the golden period of autumn between July and August when the grass on the meadows is ripe and the livestock in their best physical condition. The main events of a Nadam Fair are horseracing, wrestling, archery as well as theatrical performances. To the Mongolian people, the Nadam Fair is ancient, sacred, grand and full of fun. Nowadays, it has become a large-scale comprehensive gathering including sacrificial rites, celebrations, athletic sports, entertainment and trade. Agricultural products, by-products, native products and animal products from different prefectures are exchanged at the fair.

Most Mongolian people live in Inner Mongolia, Gansu, Qinghai, Xinjiang, Jilin and Liaoning. According to the fifth national census in 2000, there are 5.8139 million Mongolians across China. They have their own spoken and written language, which belongs to the Mongolian group of the Altaic language family. The Mongolians use three dialects: Inner Mongolian, Barag-Buryat and Uirad. The Mongolian script was created in the early 13th century on the basis of the script of Huihu or ancient Uygur, which was revised and developed a century later into the form used to this day.

In 1206, Temujin (1162-1227) of the Mongolian tribe had a clan conference held on the bank of the Onon River, at which he was elected the Great Khan of all Mongols with the title of Genghis Khan. Since then, for the first time ever, northern China saw a powerful and sustainable ethnic group - The Mongolians. Between 1219 and 1260, the Mongolian army launched three massive expeditions, expanding the Mongolian empire into Central Asia and Europe. Genghis Khan died in 1227. In 1272, following more than 70 years of battles, his son Kubai Khan (1215-1294) founded the Yuan Dynasty. In 1279, Kubai Khan subdued the Southern Song, bringing the whole of China under his centralized rule.

As early as the beginning of the 13th century, Mongolian tribe chiefs started holding big gathering called Nadam. Historical records said Genghis Khan held a grand Nadam Fair focusing on archery after conquering Khwarizmi. Afterwards, the Nadam Fair became a regular major traditional event including archery, horseracing and wrestling, which are commonly called the Big Three Arts among Mongolians. During the Qing Dynasty, the Nadam Fair was held once in six months or in two years. The winners were prized with horses, camel, cow, sheep, brick tea or silk.

In the past, large-scale sacrificial rites were held at the beginning of a Nadam Fair with tribe seniors or local officials reciting eulogies. Nowadays, sacrificial rites have been reduced to a quite symbolic opening ceremony, even in Xinggan area in eastern Inner Mongolian where the Nadam Fair remains a densely traditional style.

Generally speaking, the Nadam Fair is held annually in July or August when the pastures are at their greenest and livestock are in their best condition. The period is also the best season for cattle trading in the area. Mongolians also used to celebrate the harvest and pray for a happy and prosperous life during the festival.

Traditionally, a Nadam Fair is a contest of the three ancient nomadic arts of wrestling, archery and horse racing.

Wrestling:

The most popular and the widest-spreading game among Mongolians. In ancient times, the wrestling winners were hailed as heroes on the pastures and were often chosen by the nobles as their daughters' bridegrooms. For the Mongolian people, the wrestling is not only a game of strength, but also a game of wisdom.

Usually, the wrestler at a Nadam Fair will wear in tight, fully silver button-decorated leather vest and knee-high boots, with a necklace of red, yellow and blue ribbons. They entered the competition site in a kind of eagle-style pace, while singing battle songs loudly with big self-confidence. This scene is quite unforgettable.

Archery:

Ancient Mongolians used arrows and bows for hunting and fighting. It was his imposing cavalries who are highly skillful at archery that helped Genghis Khan establish his vast empire. Therefore, since centuries ago, archery is a favorite game among Mongolians who regard bow and arrows as the symbol of manhood, the weapon and also the mascot they must carry with themselves everywhere. To watch archery competition at the Nadam Fair is quite an exciting experience: The competitions, wearing narrow-sleeved tight robes, bend their bows when riding galloping horses and shot arrows sharply at the center of targets.

Horse racing:

The most eyeball-attracting event in a Nadam Fair. Mongolians grow up on horsebacks and horses thus play the most important part in their life. Every Mongolian loves to prove his worth by showing good horsemanship, which they pursue tirelessly since they are very young.

Since the establishment of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, the Nadam Fair becomes a real grand gathering of Mongolian people themselves with modern features and new facets developed. At the fair, thousands of people from all over Inner Mongolian and other Mongolian habitats gather together on the vast green fair site decorated with colorful flags. They wear their holiday best, drink koumiss, sing folk songs, eat roasted sheep, and play horse head-shaped instrument and dance from dark till dawn. There is a genuine touch of Mongolians' unrestrained enthusiasm. To this day, the Nadam Fair has become a joyful occasion to celebrate the harvest, the national unity and the achievements the Mongolians have made. It is also a comprehensive cultural and athletic meeting with focuses on traditional games but also including performances, exhibitions, information exchanges, trade and other activities.