Golden Eagle Festival
traditional Mongolian festival
The Golden Eagle Festival (Mongolian: Бүргэдийн баяр, Kazakh: Бүркіт той) is an annual cultural festival held in Bayan-Ölgii Province, Mongolia. Organized by the Mongolian Eagle Hunter's Association, it celebrates the traditions of Kazakh eagle hunters (bürkitshi) who train and hunt with golden eagles. Competitions are held to showcase eagle handling skills, as well as traditional Kazakh dress and horsemanship. Events take place both in central Ölgii and on the nearby steppe, approximately 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) outside the town.
Prizes are awarded for categories such as best eagle at hunting prey, best eagle responding to its handler, and best presentation of traditional attire. Other events include horse racing, archery, and bushkashi, a horseback tug-of-war using a goatskin.
The festival was prominently featured in the 2016 documentary The Eagle Huntress, which followed 13-year-old Aisholpan, reportedly the first girl to participate and win in the competition. The film drew international attention to the festival, though aspects of its marketing and portrayal have been critiqued for historical inaccuracy.
Scholars and practitioners have debated the impact of tourism on eagle hunting traditions. Researchers such as Lauren McGough and Joseph Recupero have documented concerns about the commercialization of the festival, the rise of “hand-raised” eagles used for tourism rather than hunting, and shifting motivations among younger eagle hunters.
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