The Heart of Vastness

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Five eagle hunters cross the steppe on their horses, following the curve of a stream in Bayan-Ölgii, the western-most aimag (province), home to breathtaking landscapes. The wind howls across the steppe, and a chill creeps its way down from the snow-capped mountains

Photos and Text Manuel Libres Librodo Jr.

A photographic journey into the Mongolian steppe

A portrait of a young herder wearing a handmade hat of fox fur. This traditional Mongolian fur hat protects the wearer from the bitter cold; temperatures in Mongolia can plummet to –20°C during the winter months

A four-year-old girl in her family’s ger (traditional tent) on the remote steppe. Living a nomadic life, the family moves around three times a year, following food sources for their animal herd

A young woman prepares her golden eagle before a competition. The eagle hunting tradition has been a well-regarded skill among the nomadic Kazakh community of northwestern Mongolia for over 1,000 years. More recently, women have started training and competing in this sport –  once exclusively dominated by men.

The Golden Eagle Festival is held in the first weekend of October in Bayan-Ölgii province, at the foot of the Altai Mountains. The largest gathering of eagle hunters in the world,  it is recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Cultural Event. Dressed in their best hunting attire, the eagle hunters show off their skills to thousands of spectators who flock to Bayan-Ölgii from all over the world

For the rest of this article (Asian Geographic Collector’s Edition/2017 ) and other stories, check out our past issues here or download a digital copy here

The 25th anniversary of the largest and longest running dive show, Asia Dive Expo (ADEX) is set to occur on the 11-14th April 2019. Centred on the theme – Plastic free Future, ADEX is more than just a dive show with its commitment to the environment. Among an exciting lineup of programs, attendees can look forward to a Future Forward Series of Panel Discussion on the Single-Use Plastic Conundrum in Asia, on 13th April.

So join us at the event, get inspired and for all you know, you might just liberate the inner diver in you! More details of the event here

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