Traditional Eagle Festival celebrates nomadic heritage in Mongolia
The annual Eagle Festival, organized to promote the traditions, customs, and unique cultural heritage of nomadic people and to pass them on to younger generations, is being held for the 20th year this weekend at the Chinggis Khaan Khuree Tourist Complex, MONTSAME reports.
More than 30 eagle hunters from Bayan-Ulgii, Tuv, and Selenge aimags are participating in this year’s festival. In addition, 16 competitors from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Spain, Hungary, and Russia are taking part.
The Eagle Festival is organized in the form of competitions and contests. Participants dress in traditional clothing and enter in a ceremonial procession, carrying their trained golden eagles on their arms and riding horses specially trained for eagle hunting. Judges evaluate how well participants preserve traditional customs, as well as the colors and designs of their clothing, to select the best eagle hunter with the finest traditional attire, horse, and eagle equipment.
During the festival, visitors can enjoy Kazakh cultural performances, shop for traditional clothing and crafts, taste local cuisine, and visit a Kazakh ger to experience the unique customs and lifestyle of the Kazakh people.
The Eagle Festival 2026 is jointly organized by the Ulaanbaatar Tourism Department, the Chinggis Khaan Khuree Tourist Complex, and the Mongolian Eagle Hunters Association, with support from the Ministry of Culture, Sports, Tourism and Youth of Mongolia and the Bayan-Ulgii Aimag Department of Culture and Arts.
The traditional practice of training birds of prey for hunting is known as falconry. Nomadic peoples of Central Asia have practiced eagle hunting for more than 6,000 years. In recognition of this heritage, the tradition of Falconry was officially inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2010.
