LadyandGenlenmen:
WelcometoHunLunbeierGraland!Firstofall，I’dliketotellyouwhypeoplecallthisbdautifulgralandHulunbeiergraland.Thereisamovinglegendbehindit.Along,longtimeagotherelivedacoupleofloversonthegraland.ThegirlwasaHulun.TheboywasBeiEr.OnedayademonchiefcalledMangGusiabductedHuLunanddriedupthegraland.Thegrawitheredandyellowedanddomesticanimalsdiedoneafteranother.InordertosavethegralandandHuLun,BeiErtravedagreatdistanceonfoot,chasingafterMangGasidayandnight.Finally,hefaintedfromexhaustion.Inhisweakenedstate,hedreamtthatthedemonchiefhadmagicallyturnedHuLu,BeiErtraveledagreatdistanceonfoot,chasingafterMangGasidayandnight.Finally,hefaintedfromexhaustion.Inhisweakenedstate,hedreamtthatthedemonchiefhadmagicallyturnedHuLunintoaflowerwhichwasandsufferingfromthewindydreaminfrontofhim.Heimmediatelywateredtheflowerandbrokethespell.HuLunchangedbackintoherformerself.Butthedemonchiefwouldnotgiveup.Heimmediatelywateredtheflowerandbrokethespell.HuLunchangedbackintoherformerself.Butthedemonchiefwouldnotgiveup.HeseizedHuLunandtookherawayagain.HuLunrackedherbrainforawaytoescape.Shesucceededingettingholdofthemagicpearlonthedemonchief`shead.OnswallowingthepearlHuLunturnedintoalake.InthemeantimeBeiErhadkilledalloftheotherdemons,butfailedtofindHuLun.Heartbroken,BeiErjumpedintoalaketokillhimself.Allofasuddentheearthsplitopenandformedtwolakes,HuLunlakeandBeiErLake,withtheWilsonRivercloselyconnectingthem.Later,peoplelivingonthegralandnamedthelandhulunbeierGralandinmomoryofthem.
HuLunbeiercoversanareaof250.557squarekilometers,withatotelpopulationof2.66million.TheMongoliannatialityisthedominantethicgroup,and35othernationlities,suchasDawoer,Ewenke,Elunchun,Han,Manchu,Ruian,etc.liveinharmonywiththemonthegraland.Hunlunbeieriscalled“greenandcleanland”becauseitisrelativelyfreeofpollution.
(Steppingoutoftheyurt)
Undertheblueskyandwhiteclouds,youwillseeavividpictureofflocksofsheepandherdsofcattle,gallopinghorsesandskillfulherdsenonhorsebackbrandishinghorsewhips.Doyouwanttogoforaride?Ifyouareskilledatriding,whynotrideaMongolianhorseforawhileorwanderaboutoncamelback?Ifyouareafraidofridinghorsesorcamels,nevermind.YoustillcanenjoythenomandiclifebytakingaspecialMongolianvehiclecalleda“Lele”.
(BriefingonthephysiqueofMongolians)
Nowyouhavehadalookatthegralandwithyourowneyes,butdidyounoticedthattheMongoliangirlsaregraceful,elegantandvigorous,andtheyoungfellowarerobust,heroicandmuscular?Itiaidthatthishasmuchtodowiththeirlifestyleswhichareconnectedwithhorsesports,runningandpursuing.Further,theimportantroleplayedbymilkteaandmilkproductsindevelopingtheirmusclesandbonescanotbeunderestimated.
(BriefingonthedietaryhabitofMongolians)
Let`tartwithmilktea,Thehostmincestheteaandputitinakettletoboilit.Whenthekettlestartsboilingwithagurglingsound,thehostpoursthefreshmilkintoit.Thustheherdsmancominginfromasnowstormwillwarmupimmediatelyafterhavingsuchacupofmilktea.Abowlofmilktea,stir-friedrice,severalpieceofadrymilkproductandsomelambisregardedasadeliciousmealbytheordinaryMongolianherdsman.Milkproductsincludetheskinofboiledmilk,milkcurd,milkwine,cheese,butterandsoon.Theformalmealmaybeservedwithmeatandaflour-baseproduct.
Whileyouarehereonthegraland,itwillbeagreatpityifyoudonottry“ShoubaLamb”(boilmeatwhichiseatenusingaknifeandyourhands).Thelambisfirstcutintobigslicesandthenputintoboilingwatertocook.Whenitishalfdone,youcutitintosmallerpieceswiththeMongolianknifeandeatit.TheMongolianpeoplethinkthathalf-donemeatcontainsmorenutrients.
(BriefingonMongolianclothing)
TheMongolianrobeisuniquetothisethnicgroup.Therobeisoftenmatchedwithabeltandheaddecorations.Withitshighcollarandlongsleeves,therobeprotectspeoplefrommosquitoes.Themiddlepartoftherobeismadeloosefortheconvenienceofridinghorsesandislongenoughtokeepthekneeswarm.Youcanfindallkindsofclothesheretoday,buttherobeistheculturalheritageoftheMongoliansandhasbecomeasymboloftheirnationalconscienceandidentity.
(BriefingonMongolianyurta)
Youcanseemongolianyurtahereandthereongraland.Butdoyouknowthehistoryandstructureofthemongolianyurta?AccordingtothehistoricalrecordsoftheXiongnu,anancientethnicgroup,theirancestorslivedintheNorthlandlongago.Theirlivingquarterswerecalledyurta.InthienseMongolians,asaethnicgroup,candateto4,000yearsago.SotheMongolianyurtaareasymbolofthehistoryofthisethnicgroup.Nowlet`stalkabouttheconstructionofayurtareasymbolofthehistoryofthisethnicgroup,Nowlet`stalkabouttheconstructionofayurt.Herdsmenfirstbuildaroundfoundationwithpiecesofstones,Thentheysetupthestructurewithwoddenwodsandbeamslinkedtogetherwithwollenorfurropes,Lastly,theycoverthestructurewithanimalskinsorfeltblankets.Theceilingoftheyurtisround.Withsuchastructure,theyurtcanwithstandsnowstormsandheavyrainfalls.Thedooroftheyurtimallanddowntotheground.Theyurtcanbeeasilymovedandthisiuitablefornomadiclife.Thisaccountsforthereasonwhythestructureoftheyurtremainsunchangedtilltoday.IftheMongolianyurtieenasthehomeoftheherdsmen,thenthe“lele”cartscanbeviewedastheirmobilehomes.“lele”cartsmoveslowlywithbignoise.Itishardtotellwhenthehistoryof“lele”cartsbegan.Allthecartsaremadeofbirch,sotheywillreainingoodconditioneveninwetweather.Thewheelsofthecartsaretallandcaneasilyrollacrotheunevenroads,lushbushes,thicksnowandmarshes.“lele”cartsareindispensableforherdsmenwhentheymovecronow-coveredareas.
(BriefingonMongolianfestivals)
TherearealotofMogolianfestivalsheldeveryyearonthegraland,butthemostfamousoneisNadam,thecarnivalthegraland.”Nadam”intheMongolianlanguagemeansrecreationorentertainment.Whenitcomes,therewillbealotofperformances,suchashorseracing,wrestling,archeryandsomeotherspecialethnicperformances.TheNadamfairisatime-honoredfestivalandwasknownworldwidefor700years,NowadaystheNadamfairisoftenheldduringtheharvestseasonofthegraland,eitherinJuneorJuly.Duringthatperiod,herdsmenoftentaketheopportunitytoselldomesticanimalsandlivestockproductsandpurchaedailyneceiltiesandlivelihood-relatedgoods.Acturally,theherdsmenhavefewchancestogettogetheronsuchavastgraland,soNadamalsoplaystheroleofabigtradefairforthem,WhenwetalkaboutNadam,weshouldalsotalkaboutofferingsacrificeat“Aobao”.”Aobao”inMogolianmeansapileofrocksorearth.Onthevastandendlegraland,itishardtotelldirections,sopeoplethoughtofpillingrocksorearthtomarkthem,InitslonghistoricaldevelopmentAobaohasbecometheshrinetoofferscrificestotheGodoftheMountainandtheGodoftheRoad.Duringthesacrifice–offeringceremony,peopleinserttreebranchesintotheAobaoandputpiecesofcolorfulclothorpaperflagswithwrittenscriptureonthebranchesTherearefourtypesofmemorialceremonies,namelyblood,wine,fireandjade.Nomatterwhattypeitis,alamawillbeinvitedtobutnincenses,chantscripturesandprayforthebleingofthepeopleandtheirlivestock.participantswillwalkaroundtheAobaoclockwisethreetimes.Aftertheceremony,theherdmenwillnotonlyenjoyhorseraces,wrestlingandarchery,butalsosinging,dancinganddrinkingtotheirheart`scontent.Aroundthattime,youngloverswillprobablyleavethecrowdtobeinaworldoftheirown.
Dear,distinguishedguests,afterthistourofthisgralandIbelieveyoumusthaveageneralideaofhowtheMongolianpelplelivehereandmayeenfeelreluctanttoleavethebeautifulhulunbeierGraland.Ibelivethegralandanditspeopleenjoyedyourvisitasmuchasyoudidandlookforwardtoyournextone.
LadiesandGentlemen,Ihopetohaveanotherchancetomeetyouagainonthisveryland,theHulunbeierGraland.Goodbyeandgoodluck.
