The Naadam Festival of the Mongols originates from the Hun era (209BC) and has come to our time through centuries. It consists of the 3 Games of Men namely, archery, wrestling and horse racing. The Naadam was a competition among the nomadic Mongol tribes to test whose horses were the best, who had the strongest men and whose soldiers were the most outstanding archers. The Mongols started celebrating Naadam Festival nationwide on 11-12 July each year since 1921 to celebrate their independence from China.

The opening ceremony is the most impressive part of this glorious festival as various rituals, traditional music and dance take place in the Central Stadium. See the ritual of Genghis Khan’s 9 white flags carried into the stadium by soldiers in the military uniform of Genghis Khan. Hundreds of artists in traditional Mongolian costumes of different eras perform dances and songs for the opening ceremony while parading with hundreds of musicians and Tsam masked dancers.

Goway has been offering travel to Mongolia for years and why not coordinate your travel dates to participate in this colourful annual festival. Goway’s private 12-day The Gobi and Karakorum Explorer is just one of many independent travel ideas starting at $2,416 per person based on twin share. Highlights of the journey include Ulaan Baatar, Erdene Zuu Monastary in Karakorum, the Flaming Cliffs of Bayanzag known for its abundance of dinosaur remains, the sand dunes of the Gobi desert, horseback riding to the glacier gorge of Yolyn Am.

Goway, 888-469-2988, www.Goway.com/asia/mongolia