To expand the annual Blue Pearl Ice Festival and boost tourism, organizers are creating the “Marvelous Khuvsgul” ice village, with a budget of ₮150 million. Applications for the project’s design competition will close tomorrow.

🤩 Discover the Blue Pearl of Mongolia at the Ice Festival!

First launched in 2000 to protect Lake Khuvsgul and promote winter tourism, the Blue Pearl Ice Festival has grown into Mongolia’s largest and most vibrant ice celebration since 2001. This year, the festival will be held on March 2–3, offering visitors an unforgettable winter experience.

• 🌊 Held at Mongolia’s largest freshwater lake, one of the world’s oldest at roughly 2 million years, the festival offers visitors a captivating mix of ice sculpting, horse sledding, and even ice sumo wrestling.  
• 🧊⛸️ The frozen lake transforms into a lively playground, allowing tourists to experience the ice festival alongside some of Mongolia’s rare reindeer and the traditional lifestyle of reindeer herders.

The festival’s popularity has soared in recent years. In 2024, it attracted approximately 50,000 domestic and international visitors, a fivefold increase compared to previous years.

💎 Khuvsgul: Mongolia’s Winter Tourism Gem

Lake Khuvsgul, located in Khuvsgul province, is Mongolia’s deepest lake and a top year-round destination. Recognizing its growing appeal, the government designated the region as a tourism development zone in 2024. Beyond its stunning natural landscapes, Khuvsgul is home to the Dhuka people, also known as the Tsaatan, famously referred to in Mongolia as the “people with reindeer.”

• 🦌 Reindeer are classified as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, with approximately 2,400 animals living in Mongolia. 

Overall… Their presence, together with the lake’s natural beauty and the festival’s lively events, makes Khuvsgul a unique cultural and ecological destination, and with its untapped potential, the region could further boost Mongolia’s winter tourism.