Mongolia is celebrating its largest annual festival with colorful performances and traditional games. The Naadam Festival focuses on Mongolia’s three most popular sports: horse racing, wrestling and archery. It was listed as a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage in 2010.

Traditional sports celebrated at the Naadam Festival

Performers tell the story of the Mongolian hero Genghis Khan in a packed stadium in the capital Ulaanbaatar. The special show is part of the opening ceremony of this year’s Naadam Festival, which has been celebrated here for centuries.

Soldiers in tradition uniforms carry “Great White Banners” into the stadium amid cheering crowds. The nine poles topped with white horsehair are ceremonial symbols dating back to the time of the 13th century leader Genghis Khan. The white banners were reintroduced in the early 1990s.

Mongolian President Tsakhia Elbegdorj pays his respects to the nine banners in front of a crowd of more than 20,000 spectators.

In the Mongolian language, Naadam means game or competition. The Naadam has existed in some form for centuries and it became a true celebration during Genghis Khan’s rule.

The festival has become the country’s most popular attraction for both tourists and Mongolian families, making this the busiest period of the summer season.

The three-day festival features competitions in Mongolia’s so-called “three manly games”: wrestling, archery and horse racing.

Hundreds of wrestlers from different parts of Mongolia are taking part in this year’s competition. Some 300 archers are demostrating their skills and competing for national titles.

“We archers are very lucky people because we practice one of the oldest traditional sports. Today we are shooting with bows and arrows and they are made of natural materials, which changes depending on the weather and wind. Practicing archery is very good for your physical and mental health,” said archer Oyunchimeg H.

The Naadam Festival 2016 runs until July 13.