Why do Mongolian herding families move their gers four times a year?
On the Mongolian steppe, herding families usually move their ger three to four times a year with the seasons. The pastures and water places change from spring to summer, autumn, and winter, so families decide when and where to move by following the grass and water their sheep, horses, goats, cattle, and camels need.
On moving day, they remove the felt covering, tie together the wooden lattice walls and roof poles, and load bedding, the stove, bowls, and other household items onto a truck or a camel. During the move, the family works together: some handle the bundles, some guide the livestock, and others check the ger parts for the new site. When they arrive, they use the same parts to rebuild the ger and restart life there before evening.
This seasonal migration and its related practices are also inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. During the move, a truck and a camel may appear side by side, one family member may check a mobile phone, and a small satellite antenna or solar device may be seen beside the newly built ger.
