We came across this fun little cartoon introduction to Mongolia and wanted to share. I’m sure there are details that we missed, but I wanted to highlight a few different things from the video with timestamps below. Enjoy!
0:24 Chinggis Khaan (the correct spelling/pronunciation of the historic figure known in the West as Genghis Khan)
0:34 The State Department Store (a.k.a. Ikh Delguur) is one of the oldest commerce buildings in UB and one of the best landmarks to know for getting around the city.
0:39 An ovoo, a spiritual location with ties to shamanism and buddhism. These are scattered throughout the country. We’ve also heard that historically, these piles of stones are remembrances of fallen warriors.
1:02 An explosion of traditional music! Throat singing (a.k.a. khoomei) accompanied by traditional instruments like the horse head fiddle and bass (morin khuur, ikh khuur).
1:41 The blue silk scarves that the Mongolians are holding up between their hands are called hadag and are a sign of respect/honor/welcome. These also have ties to traditional religions.
1:42 Turtle Rock in Terelj National Park
1:53 Mongolian Death Worm (haha)
1:58 I believe it’s the Erdene Zuu buddhist temple/monastery, but I’m not sure. It could also maybe be Gandantegchinlen or Amarbayasgalant.
2:02 The female singer is performing a long song, a traditional singing style. I believe her clothing is from the majority Khalkha Mongol ethnic group. (Fun fact: the Star Wars prequels costume designers found inspiration for Queen Amidala from traditional Mongolian clothing.)
2:25 Horses, steppes, gers…this is very typical of the countryside!
2:38 Traditional Mongolian script (Mongolian has been transliterated into the Cyrillic alphabet.)
2:48 Ger interior that shows the different sides of the ger, typical furnishings, and the traditional central fireplace.
2:53 The largest mounted statue in the world!
2:58 Shamans at an ovoo
3:03 The front of the parliament building at Sukhbaatar Square in UB. The soldiers are the national guard.
3:16 The Hu, a Mongolian metal band that mix traditional Mongolian music with heavy metal and have enjoyed global popularity.
3:47 Batzorig Vaanchig playing in the background
I hope this was helpful and that you enjoyed the video and our commentary! What was your favorite part?
Judds in Mongolia 
I love the throat singing! I used to be able to do it, thought not nearly as skillfully as the individual singing in the video.
It’s quite a skill! Eric has tried his hand (voice?) at it, but only by following YouTube tutorials. I think he should get an actual teacher whenever we get to go back to Mongolia!