Mongolia's largest and most famous festival, Naadam, has been celebrated all over the country for more than 1000 years. All events, including the biggest in Ulaanbaatar, involve competitions in the "three manly sports" of archery, horse-riding and wrestling.
The festival has adopted new significance as the nation evolves, from perpetuating the military tradition of Genghis Khan to commemorating the Mongolian independence of 1921, and now coincides with the Mongolia National Day festivities (12 July). The Opening Ceremony takes place in the National Stadium, which also hosts the wrestling. The horse racing and archery is found in Yarmag, to the south-west of capital.