The budget for organizing this year’s National Naadam Festival has been set at 2.5 billion MNT and the Organizing Commission for Naadam Festival has instructed not to spend more than 650 million MNT for the opening ceremony. The commission hopes to demonstrate a grand celebration without putting additional burden on the state budget. Compared to last year, the budget for the 2017 Naadam Festival has been lowered by around 300 million MNT in total, with up to 143.8 million MNT cut from the opening ceremony budget compared to last year. Reportedly, the Ministry of Finance is providing 1.9 billion MNT and the Ulaanbaatar Mayor’s Office 500 million MNT for preparation. They plan to recover at least 330 million MNT of the cost through temporary operation permit fee and ticket sales. Over 4,000 people will participate in the opening, according to Deputy Minister of Education, Culture, Science and Sports Yo.Otgonbayar, who is heading the Cultural Council. Organizers anticipate that the highlight of the opening will be the release of the original version of “Mongoliin Saikhan Oron” film’s soundtrack, composed by State Honored Cultural Worker E.Choidog. The soundtrack was reportedly recorded with an orchestra at the German DEFA Studio in 1961. Deputy Prime Minister and Head of the Organizing Commission U.Khurelsukh informed that the commission was able to attain a copy of the original version of the song by making a request to the German Government through Ambassador of Germany to Mongolia Stefan Duppel. Another highly-anticipated event of Naadam Festival is performances incorporating Mongolian folklores and legends, which State Honored Director N.Naranbaatar has come up with to promote local cultures. The opening ceremony is estimated to continue for  an hour and 20 minutes.

TICKETS TO RANGE FROM 16,000 MNT TO 24,000 MNT

 Tickets for the opening, closing and wrestling matches will be available at the State Cultural Palace and State Service Centers from July 8. Festivalgoers can choose from three different tickets that cost 16,000 MNT, 20,000 MNT and 24,000 MNT respectively. The registration for those interested in participating in the Mongolian-style wrestling tournament will be held on July 9 and 10 from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the Wrestling Palace. Applicants are required to register in person and bring two copies of their passport-size photo, ID card, and certificate of wrestling title.

SCHEDULE OF BORDER CHECKPOINTS DURING NAADAM FESTIVAL RELEASED

Most border checkpoints will close from July 10 to 13 for the National Naadam Festival, as agreed between border authorities of Mongolia, Russia and China. Mongolia-China border checkpoints are scheduled to close on the following dates:

• Khankh-Mondy border will be closed from July 10 to 13
• Ulikhan-Deed Ulikhan border will be closed from July 10 to 13
• Borkhoo-Khandgait border will be closed from July 10 to 13
• Arts Suuri-Tsagaan Tolgoi will be closed from July 10 to 13
• Tes-Shar border will be closed from July 11 to 15
• Tsagaan Lake-Tashanta border will be closed from July 11 to 15

Altanbulag–Kyakhta and Ereentsav–Solovevsk road checkpoints and Sukhbaatar–Naushki and Ereentsav–Solovevsk railway checkpoints at the Russian border will operate normally throughout the holiday. On the other hand, all border checkpoints to China will close from July 11 to 15 in accordance with the intergovernmental agreement between Mongolia and China on border checkpoint and regime, approved in 2004. Railway stations and airports will operate normally during Naadam Festival.

INFORMATION BOARDS TO BE PLACED FOR DRIVERS

The Ulaanbaatar Road Development Agency is placing special information boards near key venues and along roads to provide real-time insights to festivalgoers and drivers. Five of these boards will be placed around the Mongolian Naadam Complex, 12 around the National Sports Stadium, and more along roads directed to these venues. The Ulaanbaatar Road Development Agency reported on Monday that road signs and marking work is at 54 percent completion and that they have finished preparations to set up 164 new road signs. Road maintenance work to replace signs along Western Central Intersection to Eastern Central Intersection is at 68 percent completion as the Ulaanbaatar Road Development Agency has finished placing vertical road signs and painting horizontal road markings in an area of 6,027 square meters in Chinggis Avenue and Peace Avenue.