Aoyunqimuge
01 · Lineage & Regional School
Aoyunqimuge, Female, Mongolian, from Alashanmeng, Inner Mongolia, is a sixth-batch national representative bearer of Mongolian Yangtuo Customs (Ⅹ-92). The tradition is documented in Alashanmeng, Inner Mongolia. Within the regional tradition and school record of Mongolian Yangtuo Customs in Alashanmeng, Inner Mongolia: The herding of Alxa Bactrian camels is passed down from generation to generation among the Heshuote, Torghut, and other Mongolian herders; the camel sacrifice is divided into several levels — the sacrifice to the male camel, the sacrifice to the female camel, and the sacrifice to the camel herd — with the weight of the rite graded according to the animal's age and merit. Herding households mostly prepare it separately, household by household; the ceremonial segments move back and forth between the household and the camel herd, with daughters-in-law and children of the same household all taking part. The sacrificial period is often linked with camel racing and the balancing of dairy foods; it comes once a year, and it is a pastoral family's largest expense and liveliest gathering of the year. The custom of raising camels was fixed with the formation of the Alxa pastoral region. Here the camel had long been more than a mount: it was a composite source of pack transport, milk, wool, and meat, and a herder's yearly livelihood was tied to the camel herd. Thus the care given to the camels and the camels' return to humans brewed into a body of rites elevated into festival. The camel sacrifice is the climax of these: with the most solemn ceremonial forms it thanks the beasts that have borne heavy loads and served for years, turning animal labor into a celebration. Herding proverbs and oral praises spread along with it, and the layers of merit, endurance, and gratitude are all wrapped in the tunes sung to the camels.
02 · Mastery & Signature Works
The bearer record for Aoyunqimuge is anchored in the documented technical standards of Mongolian Yangtuo Customs in Alashanmeng, Inner Mongolia. Within the documented technical tradition of Mongolian Yangtuo Customs in Alashanmeng, Inner Mongolia: The Alxa League of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region has long been known as the "Land of Camels"; its unique geographical environment provides good conditions for the survival and large-scale herding of the Bactrian camel. In long-term pastoral production practice, the camel gradually became an important means of production and livelihood for the Heshuote and Torghut Mongolian herders of Alxa. On this basis, the craft of making camel gear in Alxa grew ever more refined, the range of products became increasingly diverse, and a systematic set of techniques took shape. The camel sacrifice is a folk activity circulating in Alxa, composed of the sacrifice to the male camel, the sacrifice to the female camel, and the sacrifice to the camel herd; the rites are very complete. The Mongolian camel-raising custom of Alxa integrates religious belief, humanistic thought, and production skills, permeated by the plain national spirit of the Alxa Mongols and distinctive folk cultural content. The continuing maturation of the craft of camel-gear making has had a profound influence on the economic and social development of the Alxa region. The human-centered content displayed in the camel sacrifice nurtured the Mongolian spirit of honesty, kindness, and perseverance. The large body of oral culture produced in the activities — such as the "Meritorious Camel," "In Praise of the Camel," "Benedictions," and "Milking Songs" — embodies the plain philosophy of gentleness and honesty, of repaying kindness and abandoning evil for good, and has become a life concept and cultural vehicle of the Mongolian people. Representative repertoire, works and technical entries recorded for the project include: "The rite for the leading camel": The family bows to the oldest and most serviceable camel, offering milk, wine and praise in thanks. "The rite for the she-camel": The she-camel is thanked for milk and the continuance of the herd, her milk poured on the ground. "The whole herd assembled": The herd is driven before the household and sung to, half ceremony and half fair. "Camel praise and the milking song": Improvised praise for the camel and coaxing songs for the she-camel precede the evening milking.
The rite for the leading camel
The family bows to the oldest and most serviceable camel, offering milk, wine and praise in thanks.
The rite for the she-camel
The she-camel is thanked for milk and the continuance of the herd, her milk poured on the ground.
The whole herd assembled
The herd is driven before the household and sung to, half ceremony and half fair.
Camel praise and the milking song
Improvised praise for the camel and coaxing songs for the she-camel precede the evening milking.
03 · Transmission & Safeguarding Status
In 2025, Aoyunqimuge was announced in the sixth batch of national representative bearers for Mongolian Yangtuo Customs, with Alashanmeng, Inner Mongolia as the declared area. Within the documented safeguarding record of Mongolian Yangtuo Customs in Alashanmeng, Inner Mongolia: The project was inscribed in the national inventory in 2008 (batch 2), with Alashanmeng, Inner Mongolia as its declared area, and Inner Mongolia Alashan Mass Art Center as its safeguarding unit. Since the project was inscribed in the national inventory, its declared area and safeguarding unit have carried out documentation, transmission and presentation within the national safeguarding framework. Together, the inventory record and the project archive form the public documentary basis for the bearer’s transmission practice.
04 · Associated Heritage Item Dossier
Historical origin
The custom of raising camels was fixed with the formation of the Alxa pastoral region. Here the camel had long been more than a mount: it was a composite source of pack transport, milk, wool, and meat, and a herder's yearly livelihood was tied to the camel herd. Thus the care given to the camels and the camels' return to humans brewed into a body of rites elevated into festival. The camel sacrifice is the climax of these: with the most solemn ceremonial forms it thanks the beasts that have borne heavy loads and served for years, turning animal labor into a celebration. Herding proverbs and oral praises spread along with it, and the layers of merit, endurance, and gratitude are all wrapped in the tunes sung to the camels.
05 · Fellow National Bearers Lineage
National representative bearers recorded under the same item code, ordered from the first to the sixth batch. Batch order is not a teacher–student relationship.
| Bearer | Declared area | Roster code | Relation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eerdengdalai | Alashanmeng, Inner Mongolia | 05-3039 | Same declared area |
| Aoyunqimuge | Alashanmeng, Inner Mongolia | — | This page |
06 · Archival Sources & Bibliography
This static English edition is rendered at the edge for search engines, AI crawlers and readers without JavaScript. Compiled from official national representative bearer archival records and the associated project dossier, organized by topic and translated into English. 阅读中文版。