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Social Profile
Food & Drink: Meat is the basis of the diet, primarily beef and mutton. The local cooking is quite distinctive. Traditional meals generally consist of boiled mutton with lots of fat and flour with either rice or dairy products. One local speciality is Boodog; this is the whole carcass of a goat roasted from the inside – the entrails and bones are taken out through the throat, the carcass is filled with burning hot stones and the neck tied tightly, and thus the goat is cooked from the inside to the outside. Fish is also beginning to be widely available.
Mongolian tea (suutei tsai), meaning salty tea with milk, is very popular. Mongolian vodka is excellent, as is the beer (although it is expensive). Hot and cold beverages are not normally included in meals and many restaurants will add on a 13 per cent sales tax.
Nightlife: There are evening performances at the State Opera and Ballet Theatre, State Drama Theatre and Puppet Theatre. The Folk Song and Dance Ensemble and People’s Army Song and Dance Ensemble are in the capital. Other major towns also have theatres. Circus entertainment is also very popular. There is also one cinema featuring English-language films, and large numbers of bars, nightclubs and restaurants that offer dancing or live entertainment (bands).
Shopping: In Ulaanbaatar, there are a few duty-free shops and restaurants where convertible currencies are accepted. In all other shops, local currency must be used. The best buys include pictures, cashmere garments, camel-wool blankets, national costumes, boots, jewellery, carpets, books and handicrafts. The notorious black market on the outskirts of Ulaanbaatar is a large, crowded flea market which sells a huge variety of items. Suitable for the adventurous traveller, it is patronised mainly by local people. Pickpockets can be a problem. Shopping hours: Mon-Sun 1000-1800 as a general guide although times and days vary considerably.
Special Events: The centuries-old Naadam Festival is celebrated annually in Ulaanbaatar although smaller Naadam festivals take place in the countryside around this time. Herdsmen travel from all over the country to take part in large-scale national games (wrestling, horseracing and archery). For details of further events in 2003, contact the Mongolian National Tourism Board (see Contact Addresses section). The following are some of the events celebrated in 2003:
Jan 24-28 Camel Festival, Umnugobi aimag. Feb Tsagaan Tsar (spring festival), nationwide. Jun Mongolian Sunrise to Sunset International Ultra-Marathon, Lake Huvusgul National Park. Jun 10-17 Roaring Hoofs International Festival of Live Music, Ulaanbaatar and Gobi Desert. Jun 17-21 SMET 2003 (trade fair), Ulaanbaatar. Jul 9-19 Naadam Festival, Ulaanbaatar. Jul 27-28 Chinggis Khaan State Worship (anniversary of the birth of Chinggis Khaan-Temuujin), Khenty aimag. Aug 1-2 Yak Festival, Arkhangai aimag and Tariat sum. Aug 22 Mini Naadam, Gobi Desert. Sep 16-20 Ulaanbaatar Partnership 2003 (trade fair), Ulaanbaatar. Oct 7-10 Eagle Hunting Festival, Altai Mountains.
Social Conventions: Religious customs should be respected. Mongolia has a large number of customs and traditions. Further details can be obtained from the Mongolian National Tourism Board (see Contact Addresses section). Visitors are requested to familiarise themselves with these customs. Photography: Not permitted in temples and monasteries. A fee is payable for photography in protected areas, although this regulation is often not enforced. Caution should be exercised when photographing government buildings, military establishments and border crossings. Tipping: Not customary, but this is changing and, if leaving a tip, ten per cent is the norm.
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