What festivals do Mongolians hold on the grassland in July and August every year?

Every July and August, Mongolian people hold Aobao Festival on the grassland.

Aobao Festival, also known as Takin Festival, is a festival for Mongolian Tuwa people to worship the nature of heaven, earth, sun and moon. Aobao Festival is a Mongolian festival with a long history. Every July and August, Mongolians often get together to celebrate this festival.

Aobao Festival is one of Mongolian grand sacrificial activities. When the flowers are in full bloom on the grassland and the climate is pleasant, the local lamas will choose auspicious days to hold festivals to celebrate the harvest, and pray for good weather, peace and good luck for a year. In Mongolian, "Aobao" means "Dui". Choose a beautiful and quiet place with water plants and pile it up with stones.

Some are covered with clusters of branches, and some have erected wooden poles, all of which are covered with colorful wind flags. On the endless grassland with the same color of heaven and earth, Aobao is like a beacon on the grassland, so that passers-by can confirm their position through the position of Aobao. Mongolians have great respect for this Aobao, which is known as the grassland protector. Whenever they pass by and see it from a distance, they always dismount and bow down.

Significance of Aobao Festival

Mongols believed in Shamanism in their early days. In the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, Tibetan Buddhism gradually replaced Shamanism and became the national belief of Mongols. Therefore, lamas and chanting became the protagonists and important contents of Aobao's sacrificial activities. In addition, the sacrificial activities of Tibetan Buddhism also spread throughout every aspect of Mongolian daily production and life.

Mongolians follow the primitive religious beliefs of their ancestors and believe that there is heaven when the mountains are high and strong; This mountain is also the place where imaginary gods live.

Therefore, the worship of the mountain and the prayer to God are expressed in the form of offering sacrifices to Aobao. With the development of society, the progress of science and the renewal of herdsmen's concept, today's Aobao has changed in content and form. Sacrificing Aobao is the epitome of Mongolian ancient culture, and a series of activities and ceremonies related to it reflect the creativity of Mongolian people.