Reflection

Reflection

Mongolians​ consecrate nature as their origin and believe that all life forms hold intrinsic values. They worship the mountain, the rivers, and the fire so they never commit mass deforestation, pollute the waters, or throw impure items into the fire. Mongolians not only protect these intrinsic spirits, they celebrate it. The Aobao festival is where Mongolians gather around Aobaos, sacred heaps of stones, and celebrate the mountain god. During the ceremony, people would add rocks, pieces of silk, and willow branches to the Aobao and circle the Aobao for three times from left to right while scattering offerings on the Aobao. At the end of the ceremony, people participate in horseback riding contests. In my drawing, I illustrated the Aobao festival combined with Mongolians’ beliefs about nature. The people celebrating the Aobao festival are colored brown, green, and blue, representing earth, trees, and the sky respectively. This represents the idea that Mongolians are closer to the sacred nature than they ever are, almost morphing with nature, by interacting with the Aobao. Thus, the colors of nature replace that of a common human being. The giant hands holding up the ball of yarn represent the sacred mountain god, the crossing hands forming the shape of a mountain. The eyes on the hand and the act of holding the ball of yarn up, the yarn enveloping the Mongolians, symbolizes that the mountain god is looking after and protecting the Mongolians after getting his efforts recognized during the festival. The colors of the mountain and the sky are reversed, the mountain turned blue and the sky turned brown, because Mongolians believe that the mountain is the sky, thus reflecting the weight of mountains in the hearts of Mongolians.