Nomads in Transition – The Diplomat
Photo essays | Society | Central Asia
New technologies are helping to keep alive a traditional way of life in the Mongolian steppes.
A ger on the steppe at night.
Credit: Hannah Reyes
Young nomadic boys ride horses bareback. In summer, nomadic children leave boarding school and urban life and return to their families in the steppe.
Credit: Hannah Reyes
A man builds the skeleton of his Mongolian ger, the traditional nomadic shelter. Today, nomads and part of the population living in urban areas still use gers as their main dwelling.
Credit: Hannah Reyes
A nomadic man rests inside his Mongolian ger. The furnishings inside his ger include both Mongolian patterned rugs and furniture from modern stores.
Credit: Hannah Reyes
A young girl helps her mother build their ger. In the summer, the children educated in the city’s boarding schools return to the steppe to help their parents with their herd.
Credit: Hannah Reyes
A flat screen TV is seen inside a traditional Mongolian ger. Today, many nomads use solar panels to power modern conveniences such as televisions and cell phones.
Credit: Hannah Reyes
A herd of horses is seen on the road in the Mongolian countryside. Horses, a national symbol, are an important part of Mongolian culture, as they are used for travel, herding, hunting and sport.
Credit: Hannah Reyes
Sacred Buddhist spaces border the steppe, where spirituality is geared towards respect for nature.
Credit: Hannah Reyes
Solar panels are seen outside the traditional Mongolian gers. Today, nomads use solar energy for electricity in their homes.
Credit: Hannah Reyes
A nomad man in traditional Mongolian attire is seen on a motorbike. Although nomads traditionally use horses to herd, today he uses the motorbike to manage his horses, sheep and cattle.
Credit: Hannah Reyes
A young girl watches her mother milk her cow. In summer, nomadic children leave boarding school and urban life and return to their families in the steppe.
Credit: Hannah Reyes
The vast Mongolian steppe is home to one of the last nomadic cultures in the world. Located between China and Russia, the Mongolian steppe remains largely untouched and its nomadic way of life has remained largely unchanged for generations. Some herding customs alive today predate the era of Genghis Khan. Slowly, however, the landscape of the steppe is changing, as more and more of its nomadic population moves to urban areas in search of education, employment, and modern conveniences. Indeed, modernity attracts not only the Mongols who have settled in the city, but also those who have chosen to continue their nomadic way of life.
Today, the nomads who remain in the steppe combine old traditions with new means. They continue their pastoral herding lifestyle, but many use motorbikes to herd cattle and horses. To move their homes, trucks have replaced ox carts. With the increasing use of motorcycles and trucks, gas stations are now beginning to dot the landscape. Solar panels add to the traditional Mongolian house, the ger. The panels allow them to access electricity without being confined to one place. The nomads use solar energy to power the televisions, and to maintain the use of mobile phones, which, for the parents, are the only means of staying in contact with their children who attend the city’s boarding schools. Mongolian children, whether from urban or rural backgrounds, traditionally study in the city. During the summer, children from rural families return to the steppe to help their family maintain the herds, and some return to live in the steppe after completing their studies.
With the rise of accessible technology, lifestyle changes are almost inevitable. But these changes are also helping long-standing traditions thrive. Rather than abandon their life in the steppes, the nomads of Mongolia adapt in their own way to modernization. This culture in transition enjoys the conveniences of modern society, while preserving an ancient and fascinating way of life.
Hannah Reyes is a photojournalist based in Phnom Penh.