Tsuivan is a fried noodle dish served with meat (usually mutton) and vegetables (cabbage, carrots, and potato), and is believed to have originated in China. However, thanks to frying and then steaming the meat in the same pot, the flavor of this dish is entirely unique to Mongolia. The noodles are usually made from scratch, while the meat can range from mutton, to horse, to tail fat. In the style of the nomads, whatever is on hand is what will work best. As one of the most widely eaten dishes in Mongolia, you should have no problem finding it wherever you go.

Khuushuur: Meat Hot Pocket

Another dumpling-like dish, khuushuur is more closely linked to Russian cuisine, rather than East Asian. The meat, whether it’s mutton, camel, or otherwise ... Read more »

Hustai National Park is one of the best managed national parks of Mongolia located in Tov Province, around 100 kilometers west of Ulaanbaatar. The park is a reserve in the UNESCO World Biosphere listing as Nature Reserves and upgraded as National Park relating to the reintroduction of famous for Przewalski’s wild horse-only wild horse of the world. The park is pretty good for short time travelers who want to see the wild horse and wild life without going too far from Ulaanbaatar.

You will not only see a wild horse but also have the chance to spot 44 known species of mammals including the red deer, Mongolian gazelle, Eurasian lynx and badger, gray wolves and fox. Moreover, the park is considered as one of the best bird watching spots in Mongolia offeri ... Read more »

Mongolia may not be on the top of everyone’s list of must-visit places, but it really should be. The Asian country is a unique, diverse land with many beautiful places to discover and explore, from the capital Ulaanbaatar, to ethereal places of worship, to picturesque natural wonders. Whether you want to take in some culture or see what Mother Nature has to offer, you’ll find it in any one of these pretty places in Mongolia.

Ulaanbaatar
Ulaanbaatar is the capital of Mongolia with about 1.3 million residents. It’s a fascinating city that beautifully combines old and new. Visitors will find a vibrant city brimming with modern buildings, shopping, art, a thriving nightlife scene, restaurants and much more; however, they will also be abl ... Read more »

This milk tea is unlike other milk teas found in Eastern Asia, with which Americans may be more familiar. In Mongolia, tsai is traditionally a herder’s drink, made from a simple recipe that includes salt, which creates a flavor profile that can take time for foreigners to become accustomed to. However, it’s a common beverage usually served with meals, including many of the dishes listed here, and is often offered by hosts to their guests, especially upon entering a family’s ger. The popularity of tsai means you will encounter it throughout the country, and you can even take some home in the form of a dehydrated packet.

Yak Butter and Yak Yogurt
Because cattle aren’t hardy enough for the steppes of Mongolia, the heavily-furred y ... Read more »

Forged by the harsh climate of the steppes, the Mongolian horse is derived from millennia of ruthless natural selection, which is added to a very ancient human selection. Small, almost a pony, its toughness is legendary, however, and he accompanies the nomads of Mongolia in their daily lives. It provides them with means of transport, milk, and sometimes meat in winter.

History of the breed
The Mongolian horse is a very ancient breed, as evidenced by many signs: frequent line following the spine, zebra stripes on the legs...
Rarely did a breed play such a historic role, since it is partly thanks to the exceptional strength of the Mongolian horse that Genghis Khan could conquer an empire from China to the heart of Europe in the 13th century!
... Read more »

Visiting Tsaatan nomad family is a great opportinuty to explore their unique lifestyle. Northern part of Mongolia is known by Amarbasygalant monastery,Uran uul(extinct volcano).

Lake Khuvsgul the Dark Blue Pearl

Khuvsgul Lake is known as Dark Blue Pearl among beautiful mountains. Lake Khuvsgul is Mongolia's largest and deepest lake. Located in the northernmost province, it is the largest tributary stream of Lake Baikal in Russia. 96 rivers and streams flow out of Khuvsgul, among them the Egiin River, which then joins the Selenge along its eventual path to Lake Baikal.

Lake Khuvsgul is 136 km long, water beneath 100 meters & 36 km wide, 262 meters deep and is located at an altitude of 1645 m above sea level.

Taiga Fauna and Flora, ... Read more »

The Mongolian government established the Great Gobi National Park in 1975 and the UNESCO designated as the Great Gobi as the fourth largest Biosphere Reserve in the world in 1991. Mongolians consider that there are 33 different Gobi, where sandy desert occupies only 3 percent of the total territory. The area is often imagined as a lifeless desert like in many other parts of the world. Gobi Desert is a land of dinosaurs and it is the home for camel breeders rich with wildlife and vegetation. Dinosaur skeletons and their petrified eggs have been preserved here to the present day. Wild asses, camels, snow leopards, mountain sheep and gazelles flourish here, as do different types of flora.

Khongor sand dunes

This is a Mongolian largest sand dune reaching a h ... Read more »

The Mongolian national holiday Naadam is celebrated in Mongolia each year on 11-13 July. The festival starts with Opening ceremony that features horse riders, wrestlers,athletes, musicians, monks and dancers. The three manly games of wrestling, horse racing, and archery- make up the core activities of the National day festivals.

Wrestling:
At the start of competition all the wrestlers with the higher title - holder in front , enter the hall in a line wearing gutuls (decorated Mongolian boots. ) and hats and their wrestling costumes called "zodog"(an open fronted , long sleeves vest of silk) and "shuudag"(tight short trunks ). There are many different titles for the wrestlers such as Titan (avarga), Lion (arslan), Elephant(zaan) and Falc ... Read more »

Mongolian Ethnic - Unique type of nation
Although most people probably think of Mongolia as being inhabited by a single ethnic group - the Mongols - this is wrong. There are actually quite a few. There are over 20 different groups of Mongols.

Ethnic group, Percentage of total population:

Khalkh (Халх) - 84.5%
Kazakh (Казах) - 3.9%
Dörvöd (Дєрвєд) - 2.4%
Bayad (Баяд) - 1.7%
Buriad (Буриад) - 1.3%
Dariganga (Дариганга) - 0.9%
Zakhchin (Захчин) 1.0%
Uriankhai (Урианхай) - 0.8%

Khalkh
The Khalkh are the largest group of Mongols in Mongolia. In fact, they are the core of all the Mongol peoples across North Asia. The Khalkha Mongols are considered the direct descendants of Chinggis Khan and therefor ... Read more »

Cinema
Cinema, the miracle of the 20th century, came to Mongolia in 1910s. First movies were shown in the capital city, at the American Consulate and Russian Stock Exchange's hotel. In 1913 Mongolian prince Namnansuren is known to have brought some films from Russia to show at the residence of the Bogd Khan. After the revolution of 1921, equipment and movies have been purchased and students trained in Russia . Thus people have acquired access to cinema. At that time, cinema in Mongolia was called "Shadow show", and it was free of charge, until the first cinema theatre "Ard" was built in 1930s. In 1935, under the decision of the Council of Ministers, a movie production company "Mongol kino" was set up with Soviet assistance. The fi ... Read more »

Odes to nature, horses and the open steppe are popular themes of traditional Mongolian music. 

Long songs, as the name suggest have lasted a long time and are loved by Mongolians. The original long time and written about 800 years ago and there are special songs for weddings, festivals and religious ceremonies. Traditional Mongolian instruments include string and wind instruments, drums and gongs. Mongolians have made their music instruments through the ages using metal, stone, bamboo, leather and wood.

The most popular instruments is the "Morin khuur" -Morin Khuur ( horse headed fiddle ):
It is a square fiddle with the long, straight handle curved at the tip and topped with the carving of a horse's head. It is said to represent ... Read more »

Mongolia is one of the nomad countries in the world. Mongolian nomadic people move into place to place 2-4 times a year. 

Since the Hun Empire, Mongolians have been raising their five domestic animals. This includes sheep, horse, cow, camel, and goat in the broad region of forest, steppe and Gobi desert. Mongolia has 4 seasons and nomadic people move into place to place 2-4 times a year as well as it is depending on livestock's pasture. Mongolian nomad people always following their livestock. Because livestock knows where is the best pasture. Mongolian herders live in Mongolian traditional dwelling (covered felt) Ger.

Mongolian livestock
Mongolian five domestic animals are sheep, horse, cow, camel, and goat. Mongolia is the land of livesto ... Read more »

Mongolian traditional games can be divided into 2 general types on the basis of their general form; games which are played using simple and readily-available materials such as stones sticks, or animal bones and games which are played using objects created by the artistic means; namely with painted or carved pieces. The games of the one category are characterized by a close figurative connection with nature and the herding lifestyle, often having a ritual of symbolic element to their playing & by a relative simplicity of their rules of play. The games of the latter category- which include cards, chess dominoes and interlocking puzzles -are symbolically associated with social and artistic activities and are usually more sophisticated requiring greater intellectual ski ... Read more »

The traditional dress of the Mongols has a rich history spanning many centuries. It is closely connected with the Mongolian way of life and the country. The costumes of elderly people are, as a rule, modest and plain. The female dress shows differences between the attire of the girls and that of married women. The nomads' wardrobe is compact but has many variations able to serve different purposes. "It is amazing how this nation invented clothes that can fit all seasons and needs, well thought off and used in many different ways," wrote Medieval travelers from Europe.

THE MONGOLIAN TRADITIONAL COSTUME CONSISTS OF HAT, DEEL, BOOTS AND ACCESSORIES.  

Hats
One of the most colorful and original items of Mongolian national dress is th ... Read more »

Ideally suited to Mongolia's harsh terrain and lifestyle, the ger is called yurt by many foreigners. But, Mongolians don't particularly like this Russian labeling of their national dwelling ...so call it a ger. A round felt tent covered in durable, waterproof, white canvas seems to be the most simple description of this portable home. White modern and expensive houses are being built in UB, many rural Mongolians have retained their traditional lifestyle, of which the ger is an integral part.

Ancient gers were not collapsible and had to be wheeled from one location to the next sometimes pulled by up to 22 yaks. But nomads need to move across the country in all four seasons. So gers that could be packed onto the back of their livestock were designed and ar ... Read more »

The Mongolian nomadic way of life and the countries' climatic conditions has given rise to specific methods of preserving meat. The most widespread one is air - drying or bortsloh. Beef is cut into long strips that are hung in the shade.

The meat dries very quickly, becoming so hard that you can not cut it with the knife. Before using the dried meat it is powdered and put into boiling water. In a minute you have a nourishing broth.

Airag is Mongolian traditional drink. Rural people making summer time in it. 1000-3000 times bit it in cow's skin bag. (leader bag) Mongolian people used to airag in Naadam festival, wedding, New year and others. Some people can drink 2-3 letre one sit. Airag has included 7-8% of alcohol. So you will drink a lot of airag maybe you hang over.

Airag is Mongolian respect and safely drink so you never to spit and drop it outside. During the Naadam and New year festival who win the wrestling competition, people present him with one big bowl airag. Also, horse racing competition whose horse wins people drop the airag horse's croup.

Mongolian barbecue is a special cuisine offered on special occasions. It is popular cuisine from Genghis Khan ; a founder of Mongolia Empire. We put meat (sheep and goats), potatoes, carrots, turnips, onions, garlic, and some water into a large pot together with hot rocks. Make sure to tightly close the pot and allow it to stand for half an hour in open fire.

The heat of the stones cooks the meat and vegetables thoroughly. We believe that holding the hot stones helps to relieve tiredness and improve blood circulation.

Boodog (Mongolian Barbeque)
Commonly used in marmot and coat involves removing the bones( and bowels from the skinned carcass through the neck red hot stones are put inside the carcass closed and the neck opening. Then the carcass is ... Read more »

Many instrument researchers believe that “ikel” the main instrument of the Western Mongolia is the origin of “Morin Khuur”. Later, the head of it was changed as a horse head and a wooden box covered by leather and arch playing it with its horse-tail made. The origin of “Morin Khuur” is still in use in the Western Mongolia. 
The shape of Morin Khuur box is rectangular and the head of it is made as a head of the horse. Which is the style of the Morin Khuur and the expression of the term of “Morin Khuur”.

The string is made of the tail of the horse. Morin Khuur has its own extraordinary features and the melodious sound. 
Morin Khuur is divided into 3 main pieces – neck, box and arc. In deta ... Read more »

Annually Mongolians celebrate Tsagaan Sar or Mongolian Lunar New Year at the junction of winter and spring. The exact date depends on the lunar calendar. Usually, Mongolians celebrate it on a new moon day at the end of January or February for three days seeing off the winter end and welcoming a flourishing spring of the new year. It is a popular family holiday to visit parents, relatives, neighbors, and friends.

Tsagaan Sar Preperation

The holiday symbolizes a healthy and wealthy life. Therefore, people emphasize it, starting their preparations for Tsagaan Sar one month ahead. Families make several hundred to several thousand buuz (big dumplings) and bansh (small dumplings) to cook when their relatives, neighbors, and friends visit. The gers, anim ... Read more »