(Briefing on Mongolian yurta)
You can see mongolian yurta here and there on grassland.But do you know the history and structure of the mongolian yurta?According to the historical records of the Xiongnu,an ancient ethnic group ,their ancestors lived in the Northland long ago .Their living quarters were called yurta. In this sense Mongolians ,as a ethnic group ,can date to 4,000 years ago .So the Mongolian yurta are a symbol of the history of this ethnic group .Now let`s talk about the construction of a yurt are a symbol of the history of this ethnic group, Now let`s talk about the construction of a yurt. Herdsmen first build a round foundation with pieces of stones ,Then they set up the structure with wodden wods and beams linked together with wollen or fur ropes,Lastly ,they cover the structure with animal skins or felt blankets.The ceiling of the yurt is round .With such a structure, the yurt can withstand snowstorms and heavy rainfalls. The door of the yurt is small and down to the ground .The yurt can be easily moved and this is suitable for nomadic life.This accounts for the reason why the structure of the yurt remains unchanged till today .If the Mongolian yurt is seen as the home of the herdsmen, then the “lele”carts can be viewed as their mobile homes. “lele”carts move slowly with big noise. It is hard to tell when the history of “lele”carts began. All the carts are made of birch ,so they will reain in good condition even in wet weather. The wheels of the carts are tall and can easily roll across the uneven roads ,lush bushes ,thick snow and marshes. “lele”carts are indispensable for herdsmen when they move cross snow-covered areas.
(Briefing on Mongolian festivals)
There are a lot of Mogolian festivals held every year on the grassland ,but the most famous one is Nadam,the carnival the grassland .”Nadam”in the Mongolian language means recreation or entertainment .When it comes ,there will be a lot of performances,such as horse racing ,wrestling ,archery and some other special ethnic performances .The Nadam fair is a time-honored festival and was known world wide for 700years ,Nowadays the Nadam fair is often held during the harvest season of the grassland ,either in June or July.During that period ,herdsmen often take the opportunity to sell domestic animals and livestock products and purchasse daily necessilties and livelihood-related goods.Acturally ,the herdsmen have few chances to get together on such a vast grassland ,so Nadam also plays the role of a big trade fair for them ,When we talk about Nadam, we should also talk about offering sacrifice at “Aobao”.”Aobao ”in Mogolian means a pile of rocks or earth. On the vast and endless grassland ,it is hard to tell directions, so people thought of pilling rocks or earth to mark them ,In its long historical development Aobao has become the shrine to offer scrifices to the God of the Mountain and the God of the Road.During the sacrifice –offering ceremony,people insert tree branches into the Aobao and put pieces of colorful cloth or paper flags with written scripture on the branches There are four types of memorial ceremonies ,namely blood,wine,fire and jade .No matter what type it is ,a lama will be invited to butn incenses ,chant scriptures and pray for the blessing of the people and their livestock .Participants will walk around the Aobao clockwise three times.After the ceremony ,the herdmen will not only enjoy horse races,wrestling and archery ,but also singing ,dancing and drinking to their heart`s content .Around that time, young lovers will probably leave the crowd to be in a world of their own.