We have good news for those who missed the Great Naadam Festival! There’s Danshig Naadam & Tsam Dance Festival dedicated to the 380th anniversary of Holy Zanabazar – Mongolia’s first Buddhist leader starting from 8-9 August near Ulaanbaatar. The Gandan Monastery is organising the Khuree Tsam (religious ceremony with masked dancing) and chanting during the big event. Officials claim that it will be a revival of the Danshig, and even wrestlers, archers and horse trainers will be given Danshig titles (according to their achievements). Danshig, Zanabazar and Tsam dance all have a long history, so let me try to give brief information here.
Danshig Naadam originates from the 16th century, when Mongolia was divided into 7 khoshuus (region) after Gersenz Jalair Khaan’s (16th generation after Chinggis Khan) widow divided Khalkha Mongol to her 7 princes. The 7 khoshuus of Khalkha gathered annually at Danshig Naadam and competed with Three Manly Games of the Mongols – namely, archery, wrestling and horse racing. Danshig was an important event, which unified the rupturing Khakha princes under one roof at least once a year. It was also a religious and political event for the Khalkha Mongols.
Tsam dance is an ancient ritual of Buddhism, recorded evidences show that Tsam was first performed in 775-881 in Tibet. The word 'Tsam' means a dance of the Buddha (deva) and elements of this dance show as if protectors and deities have physically descended on the Jambudtiva. In Mongolia, the tsam was introduced at the beginning of the 18th century and the first tsam performance in Mongolia was in Erdenezuu Monastery in 1786.
And Zanabazar was born in 1634 as a prince to Tusheet Khan Gombodorj, who was one of the 3 ruling Khans in Khalkha Mongol and a direct descendant from Genghis Khan. It’s said that at an early age little Zanabazar showed incredible talent at learning and arts, and miraclous occurences took place in his surroundings. He was crowned as the Buddhist leader of Mongolia at a tender age of 5 in the Central Mongolia (current Uvurkhangai province) and there was a huge Danshig to celebrate.
After the people’s revolution in 1921, the Mongols stopped celebrating Danshig Naadam but renamed it simply “Naadam Festival” and have been holding the event annually on 11-12 July to commemorate the victory of the people’s revolution. We can assume that today’s Naadam Festival is a Danshig, which just lost its’ religious characteristics.
This Danshig Naadam and Khuree Tsam event is being organised in the framework of “Hospitable Ulaanbaatar” project implemented by the Administration of Ulaanbaatar city, and co-organised by the Gandantegchinlen Monastery of Mongolia. There will be public transport available for the Danshig goers between Ulaanbaatar and Khui Doloon Khudag from several spots (we will post an update once the info is available), and the Danshig Naadam is free of charge for everyone. And of course, there will be “khuushuur” (Mongolia fried meat pie) and drinks sold at Khui Doloon Khudag.
Program of the Danshig Naadam 2015
7 August 2015 |
||
Timing |
Program |
Venue |
09.00-15.00hrs |
Khuree Tsam chanting & Tsam masked dance ceremony |
Gandan monastery |
8 August 2015 |
||
06:00-08:00hrs |
Monks prayer & chanting for the good of the Buddhist followers |
Genghis Khan Square |
09:00-11:00hrs |
Stallion horse races |
Khui Doloon Khudag |
11.00-12.00hrs |
Opening ceremony of the Khuree Tsam (including various Buddhist rituals) |
Tsam arena, Khui Doloon Khudag |
12.00-12.20hrs |
Opening ceremony of the Danshig Naadam |
Khui Doloon Khudag |
12.20-13.00hrs |
Worshipping ceremony of the Ochirvaani Deity |
Tsam arena, Khui Doloon Khudag |
13.00-14.30hrs |
Wrestling 1st round |
Wrestling arena, Khui Doloon Khudag |
13.00-16.00hrs |
Mongolian national archery (preliminary) |
Archery arena, Khui Doloon Khudag |
13.00-15.00hrs |
Competition among monks (balin making - goat oil arts) |
Tsam arena, Khui Doloon Khudag |
13.10-14.00hrs |
Competition among monks (unzad & golch) |
Tsam arena, Khui Doloon Khudag |
14.00-15.00hrs |
Competition among monks (dispute in theory) |
Tsam arena, Khui Doloon Khudag |
14.00-16.20hrs |
Soyolon horse races (5 year olh horses) |
Khui Doloon Khudag |
15.00-16.30hrs |
Wrestling 2nd round |
Wrestling arena, Khui Doloon Khudag |
16.30-18.00hrs |
National archery competition |
Archery arena, Khui Doloon Khudag |
17.00-18.00hrs |
Wrestling 3rd round |
Wrestling arena, Khui Doloon Khudag |
18.00-20.00hrs |
Concert by the best provincial singers, musicians & dancers |
Tsam arena, Khui Doloon Khudag |
9 August 2015 |
||
08.00-09.00hrs |
Various Buddhist rituals (rinsel, suudal, maani) |
Tsam arena, Khui Doloon Khudag |
09.00-12.00hrs |
Horse races (adult horses) |
Khui Doloon Khudag |
09.00-15.00hrs |
Tsam dance rituals |
Tsam arena, Khui Doloon Khudag |
10.00-13.00hrs |
Horse races (amble horses) |
Khui Doloon Khudag |
12.00-14.00hrs |
National archery (finals) |
Archery arena, Khui Doloon Khudag |
15.00-16.00hrs |
Wrestling 4th round |
Wrestling arena, Khui Doloon Khudag |
15.00-15.30hrs |
Awarding ceremony (archery) |
Archery arena, Khui Doloon Khudag |
16.20-19.30hrs |
Wrestling 5th – 8th round |
Wrestling arena, Khui Doloon Khudag |
18.30-19.00hrs |
Awarding ceremony (horse races) |
Khui Doloon Khudag |
19.30-20.00hrs |
Monks prayers & chanting rituals |
Tsam arena, Khui Doloon Khudag |
20.00-20.20hrs |
Awarding ceremony (wrestling) |
Wrestling arena, Khui Doloon Khudag |
20.30-22.00hrs |
“Colours of Mongolia” concert by Ulaanbaatar dance & music ensemble |
Tsam arena, Khui Doloon Khudag |
In scope of Danshig Naadam and Tsam Dance Festival 2015, the Chinggis Square will host the public chanting on August 8th at 6-8 AM and the public transportation will be available to the location.
24 buses will serve from the below locations to the Chinggis Square at 5:30 AM and 5:45 AM on August 8th:
- Orbita
- Narangiin Gol
- Khaniin Material
- Bayankhoshuu
- Nisekh
- Yarmag
- Denjiin 1000
- Chingeltei
- Belkh
- Sharkhad
- Zuun Salaa
- Ulaankhuaran
Moreover, 8 buses will serve between State Education University and Khui Doloon Khudag every 30 minutes free of charge. The last bus from Khui Doloon Khudag will leave at 10:30PM.
Prepared by Zola, General Manager of Mongolian Tourism Association for GoGo Travel. © All rights reserved 2015.
We have good news for those who missed the Great Naadam Festival! There’s Danshig Naadam & Tsam Dance Festival dedicated to the 380th anniversary of Holy Zanabazar – Mongolia’s first Buddhist leader starting from 8-9 August near Ulaanbaatar. The Gandan Monastery is organising the Khuree Tsam (religious ceremony with masked dancing) and chanting during the big event. Officials claim that it will be a revival of the Danshig, and even wrestlers, archers and horse trainers will be given Danshig titles (according to their achievements). Danshig, Zanabazar and Tsam dance all have a long history, so let me try to give brief information here.
Danshig Naadam originates from the 16th century, when Mongolia was divided into 7 khoshuus (region) after Gersenz Jalair Khaan’s (16th generation after Chinggis Khan) widow divided Khalkha Mongol to her 7 princes. The 7 khoshuus of Khalkha gathered annually at Danshig Naadam and competed with Three Manly Games of the Mongols – namely, archery, wrestling and horse racing. Danshig was an important event, which unified the rupturing Khakha princes under one roof at least once a year. It was also a religious and political event for the Khalkha Mongols.
Tsam dance is an ancient ritual of Buddhism, recorded evidences show that Tsam was first performed in 775-881 in Tibet. The word 'Tsam' means a dance of the Buddha (deva) and elements of this dance show as if protectors and deities have physically descended on the Jambudtiva. In Mongolia, the tsam was introduced at the beginning of the 18th century and the first tsam performance in Mongolia was in Erdenezuu Monastery in 1786.
And Zanabazar was born in 1634 as a prince to Tusheet Khan Gombodorj, who was one of the 3 ruling Khans in Khalkha Mongol and a direct descendant from Genghis Khan. It’s said that at an early age little Zanabazar showed incredible talent at learning and arts, and miraclous occurences took place in his surroundings. He was crowned as the Buddhist leader of Mongolia at a tender age of 5 in the Central Mongolia (current Uvurkhangai province) and there was a huge Danshig to celebrate.
After the people’s revolution in 1921, the Mongols stopped celebrating Danshig Naadam but renamed it simply “Naadam Festival” and have been holding the event annually on 11-12 July to commemorate the victory of the people’s revolution. We can assume that today’s Naadam Festival is a Danshig, which just lost its’ religious characteristics.
This Danshig Naadam and Khuree Tsam event is being organised in the framework of “Hospitable Ulaanbaatar” project implemented by the Administration of Ulaanbaatar city, and co-organised by the Gandantegchinlen Monastery of Mongolia. There will be public transport available for the Danshig goers between Ulaanbaatar and Khui Doloon Khudag from several spots (we will post an update once the info is available), and the Danshig Naadam is free of charge for everyone. And of course, there will be “khuushuur” (Mongolia fried meat pie) and drinks sold at Khui Doloon Khudag.
Program of the Danshig Naadam 2015
7 August 2015 |
||
Timing |
Program |
Venue |
09.00-15.00hrs |
Khuree Tsam chanting & Tsam masked dance ceremony |
Gandan monastery |
8 August 2015 |
||
06:00-08:00hrs |
Monks prayer & chanting for the good of the Buddhist followers |
Genghis Khan Square |
09:00-11:00hrs |
Stallion horse races |
Khui Doloon Khudag |
11.00-12.00hrs |
Opening ceremony of the Khuree Tsam (including various Buddhist rituals) |
Tsam arena, Khui Doloon Khudag |
12.00-12.20hrs |
Opening ceremony of the Danshig Naadam |
Khui Doloon Khudag |
12.20-13.00hrs |
Worshipping ceremony of the Ochirvaani Deity |
Tsam arena, Khui Doloon Khudag |
13.00-14.30hrs |
Wrestling 1st round |
Wrestling arena, Khui Doloon Khudag |
13.00-16.00hrs |
Mongolian national archery (preliminary) |
Archery arena, Khui Doloon Khudag |
13.00-15.00hrs |
Competition among monks (balin making - goat oil arts) |
Tsam arena, Khui Doloon Khudag |
13.10-14.00hrs |
Competition among monks (unzad & golch) |
Tsam arena, Khui Doloon Khudag |
14.00-15.00hrs |
Competition among monks (dispute in theory) |
Tsam arena, Khui Doloon Khudag |
14.00-16.20hrs |
Soyolon horse races (5 year olh horses) |
Khui Doloon Khudag |
15.00-16.30hrs |
Wrestling 2nd round |
Wrestling arena, Khui Doloon Khudag |
16.30-18.00hrs |
National archery competition |
Archery arena, Khui Doloon Khudag |
17.00-18.00hrs |
Wrestling 3rd round |
Wrestling arena, Khui Doloon Khudag |
18.00-20.00hrs |
Concert by the best provincial singers, musicians & dancers |
Tsam arena, Khui Doloon Khudag |
9 August 2015 |
||
08.00-09.00hrs |
Various Buddhist rituals (rinsel, suudal, maani) |
Tsam arena, Khui Doloon Khudag |
09.00-12.00hrs |
Horse races (adult horses) |
Khui Doloon Khudag |
09.00-15.00hrs |
Tsam dance rituals |
Tsam arena, Khui Doloon Khudag |
10.00-13.00hrs |
Horse races (amble horses) |
Khui Doloon Khudag |
12.00-14.00hrs |
National archery (finals) |
Archery arena, Khui Doloon Khudag |
15.00-16.00hrs |
Wrestling 4th round |
Wrestling arena, Khui Doloon Khudag |
15.00-15.30hrs |
Awarding ceremony (archery) |
Archery arena, Khui Doloon Khudag |
16.20-19.30hrs |
Wrestling 5th – 8th round |
Wrestling arena, Khui Doloon Khudag |
18.30-19.00hrs |
Awarding ceremony (horse races) |
Khui Doloon Khudag |
19.30-20.00hrs |
Monks prayers & chanting rituals |
Tsam arena, Khui Doloon Khudag |
20.00-20.20hrs |
Awarding ceremony (wrestling) |
Wrestling arena, Khui Doloon Khudag |
20.30-22.00hrs |
“Colours of Mongolia” concert by Ulaanbaatar dance & music ensemble |
Tsam arena, Khui Doloon Khudag |
In scope of Danshig Naadam and Tsam Dance Festival 2015, the Chinggis Square will host the public chanting on August 8th at 6-8 AM and the public transportation will be available to the location.
24 buses will serve from the below locations to the Chinggis Square at 5:30 AM and 5:45 AM on August 8th:
- Orbita
- Narangiin Gol
- Khaniin Material
- Bayankhoshuu
- Nisekh
- Yarmag
- Denjiin 1000
- Chingeltei
- Belkh
- Sharkhad
- Zuun Salaa
- Ulaankhuaran
Moreover, 8 buses will serve between State Education University and Khui Doloon Khudag every 30 minutes free of charge. The last bus from Khui Doloon Khudag will leave at 10:30PM.
Prepared by Zola, General Manager of Mongolian Tourism Association for GoGo Travel. © All rights reserved 2015.