モンゴル公式こうしき訪問ほうもん中ちゅうの天皇てんのう皇后こうごう両りょう陛下へいか ナーダムの開会かいかい式しきへ

Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress, who are on an official visit to Mongolia for international goodwill, will attend the opening ceremony of Naadam, the national sports festival, on the 11th.

Naadam, which means festival in Mongolian, is a sports festival that symbolizes Mongolian culture and is held once a year for three days starting from July 11th, the anniversary of the revolution.

His Majesty the Emperor also attended the opening ceremony of the Naadam festival 18 years ago when he visited Mongolia as Crown Prince. On the 11th, after watching the opening ceremony at the National Central Stadium in the capital Ulaanbaatar together with the Empress and President Khurelsukh and his wife, he observed demonstrations of traditional archery.

Furthermore, Their Majesties are also scheduled to watch a horse race on the 12th, which symbolizes Mongolia, the country of nomadic horsemen, and see children galloping across the vast grasslands on horseback.

The origin of Mongolias summer festival Naadam is said to date back to around the 3rd century BC, and it has long featured competitions in the three manly games—wrestling, horse racing, and archery—which served as both festivities and military training.

Nowadays, women also participate in some of the events, and a unique game where you flick a sheep’s ankle bone with your fingers to hit a target has also been added. This has been registered as an Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO.

By law, the period of Naadam, which has been designated as a traditional festival symbolizing the countrys independence, sovereignty, and the unity of its people, is a national holiday. During this time, many participants from all over the country gather to compete and showcase the results of their daily training.

For example, athletes who advance are given titles by the country according to the sport, such as Giant, Lion, or Phoenix in sumo, and the champions receive great respect from the people.