Heading north in Mongolia (part 1): mörön, naadam in khatgal, lake khövsgöl: A journey from Mörön to Khatgal and Lake Khövsgöl, with regional landscapes, changing terrain, travel conditions, and a local Naadam festival along the way. #Mongolia #Travel #Naadam #LakeKhovsgol #Khatgal

Chinese museums were full of Tang and Ming dynasty clay wrestlers: broad, powerful men.

At a naadam outside Ulaanbaatar I saw them in the flesh.

It was as if the clay figures had jumped down from museum shelves, and stomped out onto the Mongolian grasslands.

#Mongolia #China #Wrestling #Naadam

From across the Mongolian grasslands, they rode to the Naadam.

One boy galloped in at full speed, pulled his horse to a dead stop.

I can still feel the thunder of those hooves! That was a very special summer. In that immense landscape Mongolia’s long past felt close.

#Horses #Mongolia #Naadam