In the village of Mandalgovi in the Dundgovi aimag, under the patronage of the President of Mongolia, Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh, a winter festival and the fifth conference of camel breeders will take place from January 24 to 25, 2025.
The festival "Closer to the Sun from the Camel" ("From the Camel, the Sun is Closer") aims to promote the Mongolian Bactrian and its potential as an economically significant resource. One of the goals of the event is to develop the tourism sector through the introduction of sports activities involving camels, as well as to preserve and disseminate cultural traditions related to the breeding of these animals.
As part of the festival, competitions are planned, including camel racing for four age groups, archery competitions while riding camels, camel polo, a contest for collecting stones from the saddle, and camel training. Additionally, the most beautiful "rider-camel" pairs and the best individuals among the breed will be selected.
The festival program also includes an exhibition of camel breeding products: milk, dairy products, wool, and leather goods, as well as an exhibition of cultural heritage items related to the culture of breeding Mongolian Bactrians.
The conference will include discussions on key areas, including:
- Political measures and strategies for preserving and developing the culture of camel breeding;
- The impact of climate change and desertification processes, as well as state policy in this area;
- Development of tourism based on the traditions of camel breeding culture.
The event is organized with the support of the Presidential Administration, the Dundgovi aimag Administration, the Ministry of Culture, Sports, Tourism and Youth Affairs, the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Light Industry, as well as the Associations of Camel Breeding Culture and Camel Racing, and Camel Polo.
It should be noted that the previous winter festival took place in 2025 in Dundgovi and was called "Camel of the Great Gobi – 2025".
As of 2024, there were 480,000 camels in Mongolia, and by the end of 2025, this number increased to 501,000.
