Modern culture in Mongolia

Mongolia lures travelers in search of timelessness, where landscapes and lifestyles are said to have barely changed over the centuries – perhaps even since Genghis Khan rode across the wind-blasted steppe.

Today’s tourism plays on this idea. Eagle hunting festivals, created for tourism rather than tradition, draw spectators from across Mongolia and the globe. Semi nomadic herders welcome worldly travelers into their ger camps on the Mongolian steppe. Tourists dressed in heavy deel overcoats learn how to fire arrows on horseback, a throwback to Genghis Khan.

These are fascinating traditions, for sure, and the Mongolians are rightfully proud of their ancient heritage, but it’s a mistake to think that Mongolia has magically escaped the creeping influences of the 21st century. While there are plenty of herders still living on the steppe, moving with their goats and sheep between the most fertile pastures, almost half of all Mongolians live in its sprawling capital, Ulaanbaatar. A further 25 percent live in smaller cities around the country. If you really want to get under the skin of Mongolia, it’s worth taking the time to meet people from all levels of society.

Mongolia is incredibly sparsely populated. Its three million people – a third of the population of London – live in a country that is the size of Western Europe. That leaves a lot of empty space between the farming villages and temporary camps, but rural Mongolians are not quite as isolated as they may seem. Children from the remotest communities will attend secondary school in the nearest towns or regional capital, staying with family or boarding during term time. Some will go on to study at university, of course, but those that choose to return to their families in the steppe and the mountains will have spent several very formative years living in a city or large town.

Technology use is widespread, perhaps because of, not in spite of, Mongolia’s scattered population and tough terrain; when you live a day’s ride from the next family, mobile phones become invaluable. They can be charged with solar panels, a life changing piece of tech for rural Mongolians, as it allows them to use televisions, radios and even laptops. Physical isolation certainly hasn’t prevented Mongolians from keeping up with what is going on in the wider world.

This also is a highly literate nation, with over 97 percent of people able to read and write. And while older Mongolians learned Russian, the younger generation is just as likely to speak English, French, Mandarin, Korean or Japanese. These people know their country is remote, and a second or third language gives them a way to connect with the rest of the world.