Forbidding No More S2 极境之旅 S2 EP12 | Mongolia Part 1
The forbidding not only refers to the destination itself, but it also includes everything you encounter in your journey Let's enter an ancient city together... and explore one of the New Seven Wonders of the World Riding a donkey up the hill Get up close and personal with wild animals here! Look, elephants! The people here use movement... to interact with the picturesque scenery Follow the cheers of the locals... and appreciate the football spirit here! Goal! This is known as "Killer Lake"...
and it's a great place to fish Follow us Let's take a trip together Forbidding No More ! The Mongol nation, also known as Mongolia, is situated between China and Russia, and it's the second largest land-locked country in the world The country is mostly plains, but there are mountain ranges in the north and west, and the Gobi Desert in the south For most, Mongolia is like the Genghis Khan Empire - a very remote and isolated existence Mongolia is also the most sparsely populated country in the world... with a population of only 3.4 million, close to half of which live in the middle of the Mongolian Plateau, in the capital, Ulaanbaatar, which has an area of 4,704 square kilometres The continental climate makes for hot summers and cold winters here, so the ideal travel period is from May through September After an 11-hour flight, I finally arrived in Mongolia, which is our final stop on this season's Forbidding No More I'm headed to meet our tour guide and see what she has planned (Mongolian) Hello I'm Alberto My name is Tselmen Nice to meet you I speak Chinese You do? I feel like I'm home Let's go After travelling all this way to this grassy nation, Alberto decided he was in no rush to be the typical tourist... who would snap pictures in the city's landmarks His first stop for today will be deep in the plains, where he'll visit the Mongolian nomads, who continue to dwindle in numbers...
and experience how they live Do the nomads speak Chinese? No They speak Mongolian There's a lot of tongue-rolling in Mongolian How do you say, "It's nice to meet you"? Is it a long phrase? A little -How do you say it? (Mongolian) Nice to meet you It's like a tongue-twister Again, please? (Mongolian) It's nice to meet you "Tanchi tanchi" It's like she's saying, "Dance, dance, dance" Once they drive away from the Ulaanbaatar cityscape, what welcomes them is the sight of spacious plains Nomadism is an acknowledged profession in Mongolia Every year, the Mongolian government award nomads... based on the death rate and the size of their livestock At present, about 30% of the population are nomads The family that Alberto will visit today... still leads a nomadic life This way of life has also cultivated the virtues of hospitality and kindness that nomads are known for Even a passing stranger they'll only meet once in their lives... will be treated as a VIP and welcomed with absolute hospitality (Mongolian) This is a gift we've prepared for you Let me practice the Mongolian I just learnt (Mongolian) Nice to meet you Nice to meet you Thank you They only understand if you translate it (Mongolian) Come on in Have a seat Thank you We're in a yurt right now (Mongolian) My parents are also nomads I took after from them After graduating from high school, I became a nomad too The key to understanding nomadic food culture... begins with Mongolian suutei tsai (milk tea) Every day, housewife Otgongargal begins her day by starting a fire to make tea (Mongolian) Pour the milk in and stir like this Add salt Then add butter Stir the butter Ah, that smells really good The smell of butter is really strong Once done, the first cup of suutei tsai does not go to people It's used to pay respects to the skies, the earth and the ancestors, and thank them for the blessings they have bestowed In Mongolia, this is known as the " ideenii deej ", a food custom that emphasizes eating order All right, then let's all give thanks I hope work goes well and we all stay in good health Tea replaces water for nomads in pastoral areas They must have their three meals with suutei tsai, which is also a symbol of Mongolian hospitality etiquette When there are guests, the host will serve suutei tsai and various dairy snacks to welcome them The tea we steeped earlier It's really salty It's savoury This is not the tea I'm used to It's great -Thank you What are these? This is urum (clotted cream) This is cheese And this is kashk (dried yoghurt) On the cusp of summer and autumn, when the harvest of milk is bountiful, the nomads will use fresh milk to make all kinds of dairy products Apart from their own consumption, these are also must-haves as gifts to relatives and friends, in religious rituals and to welcome guests It's delicious That's amazing Now that he's had his fill, Alberto's first task is to help milk the cows Why am I milking it so slowly? Why can't I be as quick as him? I don't think I have even 10 millilitres here This is about 10 millilitres She's milking them really hard and aggressively Put your back into it Milk is the main source of income for nomads An average cow can produce about 5 litres of milk a day With 8 cows, they can produce 40 litres of milk every day in the summer Besides cow milk, they also harvest milk from the goats and horses That's adorable This is a kid Hi, there He's like a puppy I guess I'm good at communicating with animals As more and more young nomads bid farewell to the sprawling plains they grew up with...
and travel to Ulaanbaatar, the capital, to make a living, traditional nomadic culture in Mongolia is also at risk of disappearing (Mongolian) Society these days is very different from back in the day It's a lot more convenient now, and that's why the youth are heading to the city Our two daughters chose a life in the city for the sake of their careers They're studying for a career they want now When they get older, they'll return and be nomads But they have their own dreams 51-year-old Boldoo is not just a nomad He's also a successor of urtyn duu (long song), an Intangible Cultural Heritage Urtyn duu is intrinsically entwined with the nomadic lifestyle It has existed since the Mongolian people came into existence... and its history can be traced back to 2,000 years ago It's amazing and really powerful I heard you singing from really far away You sound amazing Can you teach me? (Mongolian) This takes skill So, I start by standing properly, right? Start like this Do I need to keep my eyes wide open like this? I'm just kidding Let me start over properly Are you stuck? Okay, my turn then I like the vibrato Let me try practising it Was that okay? Yeah Urtyn duu is emotional music It's characterized by an extensive use of embellishments and falsetto The straightforward melody depicts the beauty of Mongolian plains... and conveys a beautiful, artistic ideation of a sprawling world I think you need good lung capacity to learn this singing technique Like this man, who has ample breath You also need to keep an open mind, I think You need to have that sort of mindset to be able to sing like him He sounded like a hero, singing his laments or his praises, and that moved me a lot (Mongolian) Dad plays this game very well He won't lose He's having a great time He's not going to let us play He's not going to go easy on us My turn! -Hit matching pieces Are these the same? Yeah, this works This is shagai , a game that has been passed down for over 2,000 years Shagai are what they call sheep knee joints In the past, when resources were limited, shagai games were, perhaps, all they could play with on the plains, and this was how all sorts of rules came into existence (Mongolian) Two steps The guest is going to win I'm going to win! Is this for the dough skin? Just this small? This is more like wonton skin, right? Stuff it in I got hit on the head! Why did he hit me on the head? Did I do something wrong? Forbidding No More is here in Mongolia, known for its blue skies and lush plains Alberto met up with a nomadic family living on the plains This is very nice He got to experience their daily lives for himself, as well as the nomadic culture that has been passed down over centuries In order for Alberto to have an in-depth experience of nomadic culture, Otgongargal and his daughter Dulama have specially prepared for Alberto... mutton buuz (bun), which they usually only eat during the new year Let me help you (Mongolian) Stir it like this -Okay Have a taste They went out of the way to make me beef buuz because I don't eat mutton It's this bowl This one's all mine Large-sized beef isn't easy to preserve in the summer Because of this, most nomads mainly eat... small-sized mutton paired with noodles They only eat beef in the winter What are we making now? Is this the dough skin? Just this small? This is closer to wonton skin, right? I see, so the buuz are tiny Okay, I'll give this a shot It looks simple enough Stuff it all in Mine looks more like the buns we know, right? Hers look different from our buns, and are shaped like flowers (Mongolian) Put the next one down, like this This finger is freed up, so go around like this Bend the thumb, got it I see It doesn't need to stick together All done Nice, it worked! Great! Come on, give me five Oh, she knows "give me five" Mongolian buuz have thin skins and ample filling They're closer to what we know as steamed dumplings Wow Let me try the buuz I wrapped It's pretty, isn't it? Don't mind me, looking for validation (Mongolian) The soup will leak out There's soup in this Okay, I'll be careful It's so juicy! This is nice All we did was add some onions and salt to the beef I didn't think it'd taste this good This is stirred airag (fermented mare milk) -It smells good -I can smell the alcohol I'll go ahead and try a little Cheers They are a very harmonious family They get along like friends, and are very innocent and pure It's sour (Mongolian) Airag in the autumn is a lot more sour that this Whether it's cooking space, a living room, somewhere to host friends or somewhere to sleep, everything happens in the yurt From their first cup of suutei tsai in the morning to herding sheep, to milking cows for making lunch, I lived a day in the life of a nomad, and it was a really packed day Nomads lead very busy lives Over the past 20 years, the rapid development of Ulaanbaatar... has attracted many nomads away from the plains...
and towards a life of working in the city But most of them can't afford a house, so they can only build yurts or wooden houses on the city outskirts Over time, ger districts that stretch for miles formed in the north of Ulaanbaatar Alberto is now on his way... to visit a retired couple who moved from the city to a ger district, to see how they're doing (Mongolian) Hello The couple grew up in Ulaanbaatar, and they have three children Jigjid, the husband, retired from the army 18 years ago In order to reduce the pressure of living in the city, they moved into a ger district, where he built a home with his own hands (Mongolian) We used to live in an apartment in the city centre At that time, this place used to be the city outskirts Firstly, the air here is good Secondly, there's a lot of land here so you can build your own house We faced a lot of difficulties when we first started living here, but then we started making everything with our own hands, and we felt really blissful building our home ourselves I'm happiest when I plant flowers with my granddaughter in the summer We're doing something we like together and just enjoying our free time Come sit Oh, I'm just in time for their afternoon tea I love how warm their home is Yes Now, as is custom in Mongolia, I'll greet him with the khuurug Hello, thanks for coming Is this for me? No, it's what we use to exchange greetings You need to sniff it and then return it to him Oh? Where? What's this? This is the khuurug (snuff bottle) greeting Like how we shake hands, or how westerners hug, this is a common custom in Mongolia Khuurugs are something Mongolians treasure the most Exchanging khuurugs can bring both parties closer... and allow them to communicate with no barriers That Khuurug is really expensive, because it's got all sorts of precious stones set upon it Some of it is jade, and the one right on top is made of gold (Mongolian) I can only sniff this at home When we elders are in the fields or at home, we usually bring this out to greet each other It's not as commonly used in cities Besides introducing some Mongolian customs to me, he also introduced me to their faith He hit me on the head Why did he do that? Did I do something wrong? Turns out, this is part of a blessing rite (Mongolian) I'll play you all a Russian song, In the Moonlight It's a Russian folk song Ah, a Russian folk song This couple, aged 70 and 65 respectively, loved music when they were young The husband was once part of a band, while the wife used to be a folk music teacher before she joined the army On this sunny afternoon, Alberto is in for an auditory treat These two are so multi-talented! Though they've gotten on in years, they're both very energetic and really young at heart I feel like I'm talking to youths when I speak with them I want to join them I want to see if I can join them with this The passage of time Oh, he's singing The urge to perform is really hitting Can also be a blessing Interacting with this couple this afternoon... made me realize that a simple life like this is really blissful Seeing their home and how they live... with their small yard and a dog, passing carefree days with a partner by their side, is something that inspires much envy Ger districts were not as governed in the past That's why people built their homes and yurts as they wanted to It's also because of this that their living conditions aren't as good They might run into some problems, such as not having running water, electricity, or heating system But these things are improving The couple we visited today had a fully equipped home Ger districts are not the kind of attraction you find in travel books However, if you're visiting the capital of Mongolia, then you might as well head to the ger districts... and see the other side to the prosperous city The views here flash by me like scenes in a movie Doesn't this look straight out of a fairy tale? I'll tackle the Three Games of Men and discover a new side to myself Forbidding No More ! Ulaanbaatar is a city where tradition coexists with modernity, where poverty coexists with wealth Alberto walked into a ger district labelled as a slum by the rest of the world There, he visited a retired couple The urge to perform is really hitting It was there that he learnt that living conditions in the ger district...
were slowly improving The extensive nomadic culture is the foundation... of Mongolia's march towards a modernization Alberto left the plains and headed back to Ulaanbaatar Now that I'm back at Ulaanbaatar, this place feels huge The roads are wide, the cars are many and the air is really dry Walking downtown, I'm reminded of the capital of Uzbekistan Since both cities became independent from the former Soviet Union, we see a lot of Soviet-era architecture here Sukhbaatar Square, located in the city centre, was renamed the Genghis Khan Square in 2013 It was not until 2017 that its original name was restored In the centre of the square is an equestrian statue of Damdin Sukhbaatar, which commemorates the hero of the 1921 Mongolian revolution All major festivals and national ceremonies are held here, in this square named after him The square is surrounded by Soviet-era architecture such as... the Mongolian State Academic Theater of Opera and Ballet, the Cultural Palace, the Parliament House, the Central Post Office Many malls, bars, restaurants and luxury hotels surround the square As a typical tourist, if you want to see a snapshot of the growth and prosperity... that Ulaanbaatar has experienced in the past 20 years, then Sukhbaatar Square is where you should be We're now at the Zaisan Monument, a famous landmark in Ulaanbaatar The Zaisan Monument teems with historical importance It commemorates the Soviet and Mongolian soldiers... who fought the Japanese in World War II The monument is a circular ring, and murals made of colourful ceramic tiles decorate the walls With the Soviet-Mongolia friendship as the theme, the murals record Soviet support for Mongolian independence, their efforts in the war as well as their friendship If the simple rural plains are a holy land that heals travellers, then Ulaanbaatar is a sprawling city brimming with paradoxes Ulaanbaatar is a developing city I can sense an eagerness for growth, and I hope it soars to greater heights If you look out from the Zaisan Monument under the setting sun, you'll have a panoramic view of Ulaanbaatar's cityscape... and the Tuul River that flows by it As you enjoy the beauty of the sunset, you'll also experience the hustle and bustle of traffic, the juxtaposition of skyscrapers and yurts, tradition and modernity, the ger districts on the city outskirts, and the chasm between the poor and the rich All of these coexist and collide against each other within this city Good morning I stayed in a yurt resort in Terelj National Park last night I slept exceptionally well Now come with me to the national park for a walk Let's go! Are you tired of the city hustle in Ulaanbaatar...
and yearn for some peace and quiet? The Terelj National Park is only 66 kilometres from Ulaanbaatar, which is about a two hours' drive It is the most convenient and beautiful holiday choice for tourists A small part of the park has been developed into a tourist area, where there is a yurt resort for tourists to stay overnight The park combines the plains, mountain scenery, interesting rocks and views of streams It allows tourists to feel the thrum of nature, and let their souls return to a state of peace Someone's practising archery here That looks interesting I feel bad disturbing him Hello -(Mongolian) Hi Can I try shooting? Sure Thank you You have to wear these clothes Sorry I brought the clothes Oh, you want me to wear the same clothes Okay, sure thing Mongolian traditional costumes are robes made of colourful silk and satin He wants me to have the full experience When wearing Mongolian clothes, you must also wear a hat that matches the robe How interesting I wanted to practise archery, but I'm being dressed in traditional Mongolian clothes Hands up Lastly, you have to wear a silk belt before you're truly dressed Do I look Mongolian? You know, here in Mongolia, a lot of people we pass by speak to me in Mongolian Do I look Mongolian? How do I look? Very good Here, let me demonstrate Hold the arrow with your thumb like this, so it doesn't fall Gauge the distance to the target Draw the bow Almost there Nicely done My turn now I'll be happy to successfully release the arrow This is the first time I'm using a bow and arrow, so I don't know how it'll go Wow, this is really stiff How did he draw the bow that far back? Hang on, this is so tiring It's like I'm working out As it turns out, aside from aiming, you also need really strong arms to draw this bow Oh, the arrow flew pretty far It just didn't hit the target It looks so easy when others do it I might have missed, but I looked good, didn't I? At least my form was good Let me try again I think this will land Eyes fixed on the target... Why does it never fly straight? But I aimed this way Is it very windy? Yeah, I hit the wood! I'll keep going I can't go before I hit the target After a few thousand arrows, I finally hit the target! Ladies and gentlemen I can't pull it out I did it! The unique rocky landscape... is the reason many tourists visit These strange, naturally occurring rocks... often remind people of different animals Among them, the Turtle Rock is the most popular, and is a trending photo spot Aside from archery, riding deep into the forest... at the Terelj National Park is also a must-try for tourists I'm going to a secret place accessible only on horseback Follow me Visitors can try walking or riding in different environments... and see age-old sights for themselves So, the secret realm they're talking about is the Ulansuhai Nur The leaves have yellowed, so it really feels like autumn here Doesn't this look like something from a fairy tale? It's very idyllic It really does look like a painting I'm riding a horse, like I'm Prince Charming in search of my princess The views here flash by me like scenes in a movie It's all so stunning I really like this horseback session Wow, he tied it really tight Oh, this is a proper competition I've only learnt one move, but I have to compete for real already This is Alberto's first taste of Mongolian wrestling How badly will he fall? Forbidding No More ! Alberto transformed into a Mongolian man and learnt archery...
at the Terelj National Park Do I look Mongolian? I did it! He also transformed into Prince Charming... as he rode a horse in an autumnal fairy tale world I'm like Prince Charming in search of my princess I've now tried horseback riding and archery, so how can I miss out on Mongolian wrestling? Archery, horseback racing and wrestling are important pillars of Mongolian culture These are the three skills that Mongolian men have had to learn since a long time ago They're collectively known as the Three Games of Men They're games played by the boys who grow up on plains They've already started practising The coach is over there I'm going to learn some moves from him Hello (Mongolian) Wrestling was my childhood dream I started liking wrestling when I was a child, and I've been working really hard for my dream I'm very happy to attain the highest honour through Mongolian wrestling Sanjaadamba, 37, is the champion wrestler of the 22nd Naadam in Mongolia He's back here at his alma mater today to teach his juniors wrestling techniques Luckily for Alberto, he gets to meet such a great coach He's so big and tall He weighs about the same as you, which is why I arranged for you to practice with him When I arrived at this place today, I thought we could chat and get to know each other, but no, he told us to get started Grab his palm with three fingers Grab his sleeve Oh, nice My turn? What just happened? Aren't we here to learn? He said to learn by practise Get a good grip on him, and them pull him back Make him fall Sorry Okay Like this? I don't think I'm doing this correctly Ah, press down hard with your head Wow, it took me so long to learn one move Yes, one more time One more time Are you okay? Thank you for cooperating I had to wear their wrestling uniform... because you have to grab the sleeves or rope... before you can use some techniques He tied it really tight I can't breathe This must be how girls feel when they wear corsets (Mongolian) It's time for the competition Wrestle to your heart's content It's a real competition I've barely just learnt a move, and I'm going to compete for real? Okay, the rules are simple You win if you make your opponent's knee, elbow or head touch the ground first Oh, and your shoulders can't touch the ground No, try again Come on! I can't move him at all (Mongolian) Come on, use the move I taught you just now The coach kept trying to teach me, but it's really difficult Aside from maintaining force, I also need to shift my centre of gravity My opponent looked thinner than me, and he was smaller, so I didn't expect him to be stronger I kept trying to move him, but I couldn't I'll try the trick he taught me I finally did it, but I think he went easy on me Mongolian wrestling is really not for just anyone You need a lot of strength, because it's really physically demanding As you can see, I'm all out of breath after just one match with them Mongolian wrestling is known as " Bokh " in Mongolian, and it means "unbreakable, undefeatable and enduring" It is one of the traditional Mongolian sports A large-scale, national Bokh competition is held every year at the Naadam Today, at this sports school, there will be a mini Mongolian wrestling competition When wrestlers enter or leave the game, they must do a dance that resembles how an eagle walks The wrestlers are not split by weight, and there's no time limit It's a knockout tournament that runs until a champion is crowned These rules might seem unreasonable, but they stem from harsh real-world scenarios On the battlefield, no matter how big or small the soldier, no matter their past accolades, everyone has but one shot at victory I think one interesting thing about Mongolian wrestling...
is that this is not a fight to the death The wrestlers seem to compete with the intention of having fun He almost hit me I almost got hit taking a video at the side The sense of accomplishment you get when throwing your opponent down... is immense Those who have won the competition seem to wear proud and confident smiles This wrestling experience is really eye-opening Music is a universal language When you come to Mongolia, you can't miss out on hoomii (throat-singing) 18-year-old Bilguun, a full-time university student, taught himself hoomii singing... and the morin khuur (horsehead fiddle) off the internet Very good What he just demonstrated for us is hoomii singing Can I also learn that kind of singing? (Mongolian) Push your tongue up to your palate, then make your voice coarse and sing in a deep voice Then, draw breath from your diaphragm Am I doing it? Is this the sound? Is this the voice? Sing with a thin voice I'll try to imitate you Oh, that's hard Oh, that's the sound It's very special Hoomii is a kind of overtone singing technique... that uses the throat voice, and it's often used in folk music In 2009, it was included in UNESCO's Representative List... of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity This throaty voice...
is the voice the Mongolians use... to commemorate their ancestors and to cherish the memory of their history I can't do this It hurts my throat Does your throat hurt? (Mongolian) It did when I first started Learning how to sing is so difficult It really makes my throat itch I think I'm better off learning an instrument Can you teach me how to play the instrument? Okay This is the morin khuur The morin khuur, hoomii and urtyn duu are referred to... as the "Three Treasures of Nomadic Culture" It is the best representation of Mongolian performance culture Before you learn to play the morin khuur , you have to start with how you sit and how you hold the bow Why does it sound like I'm killing a chicken? How many years did you learn this? 9 years 9 years? So that you can play like that? Okay This is a bit hard to control I have to keep this perfectly horizontal Yeah, it'll be difficult to pick up That sounded horrible Good Is that good? It's good at times It's starting to sound better Thank you Thanks for listening Thank you very much, teacher Thank you, Tselmen, for planning the past few days Let's toast to this Primordial, rugged, remote These are the key words for this isolated area in western Mongolia Missed me! I love you, Mongolia! Subtitles: CaptionCube
2023-03-29 10:38
