Written by Ehshig, Visiting Fellow to the Mongolia Institute (2019-2020). Traditional Mongolian costume is very rich both in design and colour. Different regions have their own local designs and characters. While the Halha, Üjümchin, Harchin and Barga dresses have elaborate decoration and ornaments, the Sünid, Dörbed and Chahar costumes are simple in comparison. The regionalContinue reading “Chahar Costume from Central Inner Mongolia”
Category Archives: Commentary
A Missing Stanza from Natsagdorj’s Poem, ‘My Native Land’
By W. Juna. There has been a lot of recent discussion over the Chinese government’s new ‘bilingual’ education policy in Inner Mongolia. This new policy has reduced Mongolian language instruction in favour of instruction in Chinese (Also see a post by Prof. Christopher Atwood). From September 2020, first year Mongolian school children are now required to learnContinue reading “A Missing Stanza from Natsagdorj’s Poem, ‘My Native Land’”
Concerned Parents Opposed to Proposed Changes to Mongolian Language Texts, Inner Mongolia
By Prof. Li Narangoa Mongolian schools in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China started from 31 August this year. The start of school, however, filled the hearts of parents, teachers and students with concerns, anxieties and resentment. On the 26 August, 2020, an announcement was made by the Inner Mongolian Bureau of Education, just aContinue reading “Concerned Parents Opposed to Proposed Changes to Mongolian Language Texts, Inner Mongolia”
Hanggai: Galloping Across the Mongolian Steppe Between Different Worlds of Music
By Dr Gesar (Gaz) Temur Gesar finished his Doctor of Philosophy from the ANU in 2015. He continues as a Visiting Fellow at the ANU Mongolia Institute. Hanggai is a music band from Inner Mongolia, China. The band made their name by playing and singing traditional Mongolian songs with a modern twist. Hanggai’s fame extendsContinue reading “Hanggai: Galloping Across the Mongolian Steppe Between Different Worlds of Music”
Mongolia’s Measures against COVID-19
Artist: Ts Orgil. Mongolia’s Measures against COVID-19 Itgel Chuluunbaatar & Li Narangoa With the outbreak of COVID-19, as a country Mongolia was expected to have a high number of cases given its proximity with China and a vulnerable health care system. Despite all the odds, the Mongolian government has managed the COVID-19 well withContinue reading “Mongolia’s Measures against COVID-19”
Revisiting the International ‘One Health’ Workshop
International workshop ‘One Health: health and wellbeing on the grassland steppes of Mongolia’ (2016) We are re-visiting a workshop that the ANU Mongolia Institute held in 2016. Here is some video material from discussions held with Prof. Tserentsodnom, Divaasambuu Lama and Dr Munkhsumber after the ‘One Health’ workshop held in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Discussion initiated byContinue reading “Revisiting the International ‘One Health’ Workshop”
Changes in the Mongolian Countryside
This year I spent some valuable time filming in the countryside during the Mongolian spring, from March until May. Changes in the Mongolian countryside are not as immediately evident as the rapid development of infrastructure and the polluted and clogged roads of the capital, Ulaanbaatar. When we drove into the river valley I hadContinue reading “Changes in the Mongolian Countryside”
Are There Human Health Risks in Groundwater in Inner Mongolia?
Groundwater is an essential freshwater resource for many people in dry, remote, and sparsely populated regions. In the summer of 2015 and 2016 we observed the water quality of groundwater within an environmental science study and carried out questionnaires and spoken surveys about their lifestyle within an anthropological study in Inner Mongolia. The survey wasContinue reading “Are There Human Health Risks in Groundwater in Inner Mongolia?”
The Spectre of Pan-Mongolism
Sitting in the reading room at the National Library of Buryatia on a hot Monday afternoon in late June 2016, a burst of song erupts from down in the small city square of Ulaan Üde outside. People are singing the Russian national anthem because it is Russia Day, a national holiday celebrating the new constitutionContinue reading “The Spectre of Pan-Mongolism”
Epic at Altargana
During June and July this year, on fieldworld for my PhD, I was lucky enough to be in Ulaan Üde in the Russian Federation for the biennial folk festival of the Buryat Mongols, Altargana. Since 2002 Altargana has been held in various locations in Russia, Mongolia and China because of the liminal nature of theContinue reading “Epic at Altargana”