On July 11, Naadam, the National Day of Mongolia, opens at the Central Stadium in Ulaanbaatar

Wang Baosheng, Editor-in-Chief of Chinese Cultural Figures/Photo Report



Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh attends the opening ceremony and delivers a speech



Naadam is the most popular part of Mongolia's National Day activities. Naadam, which means gambling, entertainment, or play in the Mongolian language, is also known as the “Three Manly Games.” The celebrations traditionally encompass three sports: horse racing, archery, and Mongolian wrestling



The Mongolian military band dressed in traditional costumes plays the national anthem at the opening ceremony



The Mongolian Cavalry Honor Guard escorts the ceremonial Nine White Banners symbolizing the invincible god from the National Palace to the venue for the Naadam festival



The Nine White Banners, together with the national flag and national emblem of Mongolia, are all symbols of state power. The Nine White Banners housed at the National Palace will be brought over during every major event



According to tradition, on the National Day of Naadam every year, the Nine White Banners are escorted to the venue for the Naadam festival by the national honor guard and then sent back to the National Palace after the celebrations



The Mongolian Cavalry Honor Guard dressed in full costume passes through the venue when the ceremonial music is performed



At the opening ceremony, traditional folk dances and costume displays win applause from the audience



During Naadam, the National Day of Mongolia, 1,024 top wrestlers and hundreds of riders and archers from all over the country will compete fiercely



The best players are deeply revered and have a high social status in Mongolia if they have won considerable contests in the “Three Manly Games.” According to the newly revised law on the National Naadam Festival, the President of Mongolia will award winners corresponding honorary titles



Naadam is one of the most important festivals in Mongolia. Every year during the Nadam holiday, a large number of residents in the capital city of Ulaanbaatar go to pastoral areas to celebrate the festival with relatives and friends and experience the traditional Mongolian lifestyle



Through years of development and improvement, Naadam, the National Day of Mongolia, has developed into “Ikh Naadam-Mongolian Carnival” with distinctive national characteristics, and the annual Naadam season attracts tens of thousands of tourists and sightseeing groups from all over the world



The Mongolian State Honor Guard dressed in the armor set during the opening ceremony



Colorful traditional folk songs and dances are performed during the opening ceremony



Colorful traditional folk songs and dances are performed during the opening ceremony



Children's wrestling performance during the opening ceremony. At the Naadam celebrations, wrestling is an indispensable part, and it is also a display of strength and beauty as well as a contest between physical prowess and intelligence, which is deeply loved by the audience



Equestrian performance during the opening ceremony



Dance performance during the opening ceremony



Performances and shows during the opening ceremony



Performances and shows during the opening ceremony



Performances and shows during the opening ceremony



The opening ceremony of Naadam on the National Day in 2023 is divided into six sections and three parts, showing the past, present, and future respectively, depicting the glorious history of Mongolia at various stages and the bright prospects for future development



In the sixth “Mongolia of the World” program, with the melodies of Morin Khuur, 120 riders ride Mongolian horses shoot off and thunder into the stadium, reappearing the Mongolian people's courageous and fearless spirit



At the opening ceremony, various sectors of Mongolian society demonstrate the achievements made in the development of Mongolia in various fields such as society, economy, culture, and sports



Equestrian skills are displayed during the opening ceremony of the National Naadam Festival in Mongolia



Equestrian skills are displayed during the opening ceremony of the National Naadam Festival in Mongolia



Equestrian skills are displayed during the opening ceremony of the National Naadam Festival in Mongolia



Special equestrian skills are displayed during the opening ceremony of the National Naadam Festival in Mongolia



Special equestrian skills are displayed during the opening ceremony of the National Naadam Festival in Mongolia



The camel team marches into the venue at the opening ceremony of the National Naadam Festival in Mongolia



The wonderful costume performance is full of creativity, where tradition and trend collide, and a riot of colors and unique styles become a beautiful sight to behold at the opening ceremony



Fashion display at the opening ceremony of the National Naadam Festival in Mongolia



Folk song and dance performance at the opening ceremony



Folk song and dance performance at the opening ceremony



Performance and shows at the opening ceremony of the National Naadam Festival in Mongolia



Mongolia's Naadam was enlisted in the UNESCO world intangible cultural heritage list in 2010 and has become one of the important activities to attract foreign tourists to Mongolia



On June 29, the China-Mongolia Economic and Trade Cooperation Forum was held at China World Hotel in Beijing. Witnessed by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Development of Mongolia Chimed Khurelbaatar, President of the Mongolian National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MNCCI) Amartuvshin Otgondavaa, and Minister of Road and Transport Development of Mongolia Byambatsogt Sandag, Wang Baosheng, President of Chinese Cultural Figures Magazine, and Zhao Lecheng, President of Mongolia-China Economic, Trade and Cultural Promotion Association, signed a strategic cooperation agreement
 

Chinese Cultural Figures (Editor-in-Chief Wang Baosheng) On July 11, the opening ceremony of Naadam, Mongolia’s national festival, was held at Ulaanbaatar’s Central Stadium. Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh, Chairman of the State Great Hural of Mongolia Gombojavyn Zandanshatar, Prime Minister of Mongolia Oyun-Erdene Luvsannamsrai and other leaders, members of the State Great Hural and the government, foreign dignitaries such as President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Zhaparov, leaders of international organizations such as WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, foreign diplomatic envoys stationed in Mongolia, audiences from all over Mongolia and many foreign tourists attended the opening ceremony. More than 1,600 cast members and volunteers attended the ceremony, and Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh delivered an opening speech.
Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh said that in the new century, Mongolia will boost economic growth, consolidate national independence and security, and develop with the world. He called upon all the people of the country to unite and work together for the building of a strong and powerful Mongolia!
Naadam is the most popular part of Mongolia's National Day activities. Naadam, which means gambling, entertainment, or play in the Mongolian language, is also known as the “Three Manly Games.” The celebrations traditionally encompass three sports: horse racing, archery, and Mongolian wrestling. Traditional events of Naadam, such as Mongolian wrestling, horse racing, and archery, which started ahead of schedule on July 6, lasted until July 13.
This year's opening ceremony of Naadam, Mongolia's National Day, introduced and used more advanced choreography equipment and technology. The opening ceremony was divided into six sessions and three parts, showing the past, present, and future respectively, and depicting the glorious history of Mongolia at various stages and the bright prospects for future development. In the sixth “Mongolia of the World” program, with the melodies of Morin Khuur, 120 riders ride Mongolian horses shoot off and thunder into the stadium, reappearing the Mongolian people's courageous and fearless spirit.
During Mongolia’s Naadam festival, 1,024 best wrestlers from all over the country and hundreds of riders and archers will compete fiercely. Top players are deeply revered and have a high social status in Mongolia if they have won considerable contests in the three matches. According to the newly revised law on the National Naadam Festival, the President of Mongolia will award winners corresponding honorary titles.
Naadam has distinctive national characteristics. The People's Revolution led by the Mongolian People's Party won in 1921. On July 10, a constitutional monarchy government was established in Kulun (now Ulaanbaatar), and the next day was designated as National Day. Since 1922, Mongolia has regularly held a national Naadam on July 11 every year, which has become a major part of the national celebrations. On June 13, 1997, the third meeting of the Central Committee of Mongolia decided to change the name of the Mongolia National Day to the “National Naadam Festival”. In 2010, the Mongolian National Naadam Festival was officially registered in the UNESCO world intangible cultural heritage list, which became one of the important activities to attract foreign tourists to Mongolia.
At the opening ceremony, Mongolian artists also performed colorful cultural programs with Mongolian national characteristics, including national costume dance and displays of special horse riding skills. Various sectors of society show Mongolia's achievements in social, economic, cultural, and sports development.
Intelligent and automatic equipment such as intelligent guidance, intelligent guide, and simple shopping devices were also set up at the opening ceremony to provide convenience for tourists and spectators.
Friendly relations between countries are based on people-to-people exchanges, mutual trust, and cooperation. Recently, Mongolian Prime Minister Oyun-Erdene Luvsannamsrai said during his visit to China that the main purpose of his visit to China is to seek closer ties between the two countries and strengthen the trust between enterprises in the two countries. As Naadam, the National Day of Mongolia, will be held in July, he would like to take this opportunity to invite Chinese friends to visit Mongolia and experience its natural scenery and traditional culture.
China and Mongolia are linked by mountains and rivers, and the two peoples have forged an enduring friendship dating back to antiquity. Since the establishment of diplomatic ties 74 years ago, the friendly relations between China and Mongolia have been developing continuously. In 2014, the two countries announced the establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership. Under the guidance of bilateral relations, in recent years, the cooperation between the two countries has added fresh impetus to vigorous development with fruitful results.

On June 29, 2023, the China-Mongolia Economic and Trade Cooperation Forum co-sponsored by China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) and MNCCI was held at China World Hotel in Beijing. About 500 people attended the opening ceremony, including Mongolia’s Prime Minister Oyun-Erdene Luvsannamsrai, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank President Jin Liqun, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Development of Mongolia Chimed Khurelbaatar, President of the Mongolian National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MNCCI) Amartuvshin Otgondavaa, and government officials of China and Mongolia, business people and media representatives. During the forum, a signing ceremony for China-Mongolia economic and trade cooperation was held. Wang Baosheng, President of China Cultural Figures Magazine, and Zhao Lecheng, President of Mongolia-China Economic, Trade and Cultural Promotion Association, signed a strategic cooperation agreement on behalf of the two sides respectively. The two sides reached a cooperation intention. Particularly, they will closely coordinate and cooperate, strive to become a bridge and link for cultural exchanges and cooperation between China and Mongolia, and hold various forms of cultural and artistic exhibitions and other exchange activities in China and Mongolia from time to time, so as to help ensure better understanding between the two peoples of China and Mongolia, enhance mutual trust, deepen friendship and make new and greater contributions to building a China-Mongolia community with a shared future. From July 10 to 13, Wang Baosheng, President of Chinese Cultural Figures Magazine, attended the Naadam Festival of Mongolia at the invitation of the Mongolia-China Economic, Trade and Cultural Promotion Association, which opened a new chapter in cultural exchanges between China and Mongolia.
 

(Editor: Zhang Yan, Liu Sheng)