Portrait of Archer at Naadam festival , Khatgal , Khovsgol, Mongolia

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Mongolian archery is unique for having not only one target, but hundreds of beadrs or surs on a huge wall. In this competition both men and women participate. It is played by ten-men/women teams who are given four arrows each; the team has to hit 33 "surs". Men fire their arrows from 75 meters away while women fire theirs from 65 meters away. When the archer hits the target the judge says uuhai which means "hooray". The winners of the contest are granted the titles of "national marksman" and "national markswoman".

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Size: 3516px × 5274px
Location: Khatgal, Khovsgol, Mongolia
Photo credit: © Hakbong Kwon / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: Yes

Keywords: archer, bowmanship, festival, mongolia, naadam, portrait, tradition