China Expat is a cultural and literary forum for expatriates interested in China and has been published by Asia Briefing Ltd since 2001. The sites resident China culture writers have included such expatriate luminaries as 
Mongolian Women: Today and Yesterday
-by Ernie Diaz
What do Mongolian women have to do with the China expat? You might assume we’d go into the historical relationship between Mongolia and China, how a band of nomads rapidly subdued the world’s richest empire, and whose blood still pulses in millions of Middle Kingdom hearts today.
But today’s Mongolian women are vanquished in China, where they are to prostitution what Philippinos are to musicianship: passionate, talented, and cheaper than the so-called competition. Steppe culture, which gave them their fierce vitality and comely stature, has betrayed them to the global market, where their gifts are now commodities. Heaven forfend we give the impression that all Mongolian women are for sale, much less inclined to the world’s oldest profession. It’s all due to the inhumanity of simple economics, but it’s also a large economy, with a large human toll.
It starts at transit points such as Erenhot, officially in the PRC but minutes from the Mongolian border. Virtually all the discos, KTVs, and saunas are brothel fronts, where in back the girls are crammed ten to a room. They’ve been lured from Mongolia with the usual subterfuge, vague ads promising modeling work, friends of friends connecting them to jobs as “dancers”, smooth-talking strangers who paint a convincing enough picture of a better life. Once over the border, their papers are snatched and they find themselves in bondage, usually for a sum under $1000.
From there the next trafficking post is Beijing, and for many of the women it ends in the bordellos of Macau, although a substantial number find themselves sold off to new owners in Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea, even Eastern Europe. The women suffer degradations and risks common to the untold millions of their compatriots the world over, from HIV to drug addiction.
It’s a sordid, sad predicament not likely to change, and not brought up here in any idealistic hopes of spurring change through awareness. Forced prostitution is too old to be news, and too bound up with human nature to be eradicated. Instead, we hope the foregoing serves as a sober counterpoint to the following, a description of the respect Mongolian women enjoyed during their heyday. Free markets can enslave people, and liberalism can send souls hurtling backward.
Long before political ideology shaped a nation’s destiny, the harshest climes made for the heartiest values. In Mongolia, the constitutionally weak didn’t live long enough to procreate, and the land didn’t support enough life to drop human worth as low as it reached in stable agrarian societies. Mongolian women, therefore, played a separate but equal role in their clans, subordinate by strictly feminist standards, but balanced to those who understand the subtle dynamic of public and private life.
In the days of their glory, Mongolian men’s duty consisted of fighting and hunting (specialization breeds success, and Genghis Khan always dictated excellence as the supreme virtue). The women took care of everything else: packing up the yurt for migration, making clothes, rugs, flags, and horse blankets. Processing milk, cheese and meat. Tending the sheep. In short, they carried the whole labor-intensive Mongolian economy on their rugged yet feminine shoulders.
Giovanni Carpinin, who visited the Mongols between 1245 and 147 at the behest of Pope IV, describes it best. “Girls and women ride and gallop as skillfully as men. We even saw them carrying quivers and bows, and the women can ride horses for as long as the men; they have shorter stirrups, handle horses very well, and mind all the property. The Tartar (old term for Mongols) women make everything: skin clothes, shoes, leggings, and everything made of leather. They drive carts and repair them, they load camels, and are quick and vigorous in all their tasks. They all wear trousers, and some of them shoot just like men.”
But most likely doing all the hard work didn’t grant Mongolian women their respected status. It did, however, along with the rigors of living in the Gobi, create a social climate in which fertility was valued over virginity, a slight and sensitive point with enormous ramifications. Widows were free to remarry, and even better, women had a right to divorce. There was no stigma barring a divorced woman from remarriage. Millions of lives were spared the long-term abuse that women down south endured on pain of banishment. In material terms, women could inherit their dead husband’s property, rather than having it appropriated by the closest male relative. Customarily, the mother became head of the family when widowed.
However, the key factor in the relatively elevated status of Mongolian women in the “good old days” must have been their fighting prowess. Clans could lose a great number of males in a single deadly encounter, thus women were routinely given extensive military training. Those who proved proficient fought alongside men in battle. On campaigns, Genghis Khan employed women to perform all the associated military duties of men, while the latter were off fighting. The Secret History of the Mongols also reveals that Genghis relied on his wife Borte for advice on key decisions, and acknowledged how much of his career was facilitated by the wisdom and skills of his mother, Hoelun.
One warrior princess is said to embody the fighting spirit of Mongolian women. Khublai Khan’s niece, Princess Khutulun, was as beautiful as she was strong, and not at all given to marriage. Nonetheless, she had no end of noble suitors. Cutting the coquetry short, she promised her hand to any man who could defeat her in wrestling, as long as he staked one hundred horses on the outcome. It is said she had a herd of ten thousand before she was finally left alone, and remained a happy royal spinster. No wonder that Naadam and other Mongolian festivals have rounds for women in the archery and horse race competitions, and until recently, in wrestling.
Today, there is little for women to gain from physical prowess and martial courage. Nor is there an abundance of economic opportunities for Mongolians, despite its burgeoning growth. We can only hope that the spirit of Genghis Khan and his insistence on excellence will guide Mongolia to a near future where a myriad of choices besides prostitution await its women.
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Excellent research. Keep up the good work.
Having seen a few Mongolian working girls, living in the same comples as me..the comples is a chinese apartment building surround by ExPat Housing.. .. they come and go free will and work in the bars of the Holiday Inn and other hotels) in Beijing…Most rent apartments with other working girls and some I have met go to school…havent seen the slave trade mentioned..just working girls doing what working girls do…
As a Mongolian Woman, I sincerely feel sorry for our fellow woman been trafficked to China and Other Countries as a sex slaves. It is indeed a shame. I have heard the numbers are around 5000 or so in China. Regardless it is indeed a lot for small country. And I am sure the numbers will increase.
This is a really good post keep on rocking
Thanks, but this was more of a waltz number. Stay tuned for the heavy metal.
Over the years, Erenhot – just across the Mongolian border in the People’s Republic of China – has become a very popular destination with Mongolians. Most go there on business, but there are some who go for other reasons too. The town now has a large concentration of Mongolian female sex workers and is also a transit post for a large network of groups engaged in human trafficking.
In recent times, relations between the sexes have been beset by much disorder, brought about by various factors, among them the existence of gender roles which have their origin in economic structures that appeared during the Industrial Revolution and its destruction of traditional communities where the woman had a more weighty position in society than she was to be allotted in what we call modern civilization.
I don’t know about now but many women including teenage girls were trafficked form our country by convincing them that they will be given good work but most of them ended up in prostitution.
The differentiation between tribes and peoples (nationalities) is handled differently depending on the country. The Tumed, Chahar, Ordos, Bargut (or Barga), Buryats, Dörböd (Dörvöd, Dörbed), Torguud, Dariganga, Üzemchin (or Üzümchin), Bayid, Khoton, Myangad (Mingad), Zakhchin (Zakchin), Darkhad, and Oirats (or Öölds or Ölöts) are all counted as tribes of the Mongols.
Adding to this muddle has been a confusion between social roles and sexual characteristics and appearances. As will be understood, there is an acute need for wisdom and understanding between the sexes both in the organization of private and public life. A historical overview of some aspects of the roles played by women among the Old Mongols will hopefully serve to cast more light over some of this complexity we as men and women have to deal with.
In Inner Mongolia, official language policy divides the Mongolian language into three dialects: South Mongolian, Oirat and Barghu-Buryat. “Inner Mongolian” is said to consist of Chakhar, Ordos, Baarin, Khorchin, Kharchin and Alasha; it is assumed that they jointly provide a standard grammar despite their internal grammatical differences.
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Ts. Battaivan writes here about what they learned from and about the women, and about the growth in cross-border sex work and the women who are involved in it. The trip report also reveals the various risk factors for HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
As will be understood, there is an acute need for wisdom and understanding between the sexes both in the organization of private and public life. A historical overview of some aspects of the roles played by women among the Old Mongols will hopefully serve to cast more light over some of this complexity we as men and women have to deal with.
The specific origin of the Mongolic languages and associated tribes is unclear. Some researchers have proposed a link to languages like Tungusic and Turkic, which are often included alongside Mongolic in a hypothetical group called Altaic languages, but this grouping is controversial.
During the Industrial Revolution and its destruction of traditional communities where the woman had a more weighty position in society than she was to be allotted in what we call modern civilization.
There is an eye-catching statue of a naked woman in a large street in Erenhot. Local people say that it is a tribute to the beauty of Mongolian women. Nobody could tell us much more about the statue: who commissioned it, who built it or when it was installed.
That's one theory.
I left my native Mongolia to study at the Moscow University of Rail Transport where I graduated in 1986 in railway administration and transport planning. From July 1986 until July 1988, I held a number of posts at two freight stations in Tolgoit and Ulaanbaatar, controlling freight movements. In 1988, I was appointed head of the Ticket Reservations Centre at Ulaanbaatar Station, where I was named stationmaster in March 1989 at age 27.
Mongolian women are attractive and many of them dress to show off, perhaps because they have only a short summer in which that is possible.
I think there are good piece of writings about mongolian women and their culture in the past.
I think there are good piece of writings about mongolian women and their culture in the past.
The last 50 years for the Chinese & Indians were the years of living dangerously; the years of living under the specter of racial pogroms.
It is characteristic of Mongolian attitudes toward male and female contributions that the care of sheep—which provided Mongolians with their basic, daily sustenance—was the responsibility of women, while the care of horses—which contributed much less to subsistence but more to prestige, war, and sport—was the prerogative of men.
The women dancing in bars and entertaining men at their tables did not look particularly young to us. Indeed, when we chatted with them most said that they were aged between 25 and 30. All of them were mothers, with up to three children. We talked to 10 of the women, and the story of one of them, Doogii (her name has been changed), is typical of their circumstances.
The most highly skilled Mongolian scientists, engineers, military officers, and administrators had been trained in the Soviet Union. In 1989 no figures were available on the percentage of women among these elite professionals. Mongolian accounts of working women indicated that some women worked in such jobs as airline pilot, judge, and sculptor, and that women predominated in the less highly paid food processing, textile, and catering trades.
Mongolian women has their own beuaty and characteristic. From Mongolian age long time ago, Mongolian women has known by others. They has big potentials in arts and other activities, so many man get insult with Mongolian women beauty.
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A historical overview of some aspects of the roles played by women among the Old Mongols will hopefully serve to cast more light over some of this complexity we as men and women have to deal with.
Mongolian women (today), played a different but similar in their clans, by feminist subordinates strict standards, but balanced for those who understand the subtle dynamics of public and private life and women have been trafficked to China and other countries as sex slaves. The women suffered damage and public risk for countless millions of their counterparts around the world, the HIV drug addiction.
Mongolian women (yesterday), they carry all the labor-intensive their harsh Mongolian economy has not feminine shoulders. and women up and gallop as skilled as men. Even saw them carrying bows and arrows, and the women can ride horses for the people, they have shorter stirrups, handle the horse very well, and the thought of all the properties (Tartar women).
Unable either to sit with spontaneous grace or to topple with desperate courage, she looks confused and sad.
I think, in China the emphasis on urban women excessive hours spent in work and shopping. Mongolian women have legal equality, in a friendly work force they suffer the double burden of housework and work for wages. So this is a contradiction between the productive role of women in the economy.
Traditional Mongols combined firm notions of female subordination with a flexible attitude toward female participation in male-associated tasks, and women ordinarily filled in for men when no males were available for such activities as milking horses or even riding them in races.
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Mongolian women (yesterday), they carry all the labor-intensive their harsh Mongolian economy has not feminine shoulders. and women up and gallop as skilled as men. Even saw them carrying bows and arrows, and the women can ride horses for the people, they have shorter stirrups, handle the horse very well, and the thought of all the properties (Tartar women).
Over time, it has changed in fundamental ways the manner in which blacks and whites interact with and relate to one another. The movement resulted in the removal of codified, de jure racial segregation and discrimination from American life and law
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The major change in the position of Mongolian women is their nearly universal participation in all levels of the educational system and in the paid work force.
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Wow, I already know about Mongolian Women now. I really sad to hear that, but maybe they do that for keep survive.
Paintings of Mongols from Persian and Chinese sources depict men, and often women, wearing their hair in braids. The hair would be divided into two tails, each of which would be divided into three braids. The ends of the braids would then be looped up and bound to the top of the braid behind the ears.
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Times have changed and so is the case with women as well.Its good to see mongolian women who have changed themselves according to the need of the hour.
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The major change in the position of Mongolian women is their nearly universal participation in all levels of the educational system and in the paid work force.
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Mongolian accounts of working women indicated that some women worked in such jobs as airline pilot, judge, and sculptor, and that women predominated in the less highly paid food processing, textile, and catering trades.
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Mongolian women (yesterday), they carry all the labor-intensive their harsh Mongolian economy has not feminine shoulders. and women up and gallop as skilled as men.
I was always under the impression that Genghis Khan was a ruthless warmonger, terrorising, raping and pillaging wherever he could!? Not so sure about his pursuit of 'excellence'!
C'mon Struwwelpeter, call me Sisyphus. I'm so busy deleting atrocious porn and Turkish "izzle" spam I can barely keep up with the insincere "great article" comments. It's like being a garbageman in Athens. Just think of all the empty ouzo bottles and bazouki club ads as "native craftwork".
Take out the "homepage" entry field, got it. Thanks for the tip, S., and thanks for reading!
Now the Mongolian women have come to the world in a different way.These changes will come a great revolution.
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Awesome, S. I'm forwarding this to my IT guy. Here's to the dream of spam-free threads!
Practically speaking, among nomads the contribution of each member of society was very important for the whole, hence Mongol women had many other duties than those directly connected to reproduction. Therefore there was at the outset a material basis for comparative equality between man and woman among the Mongols. In addition, Mongolian woman were often proficient and merciless warriors. Even if this fact has been downplayed in subsequent historical works written by (male) Western scholars, Mongolian women were routinely given extensive military training, and the strongest and most skilled of these fought in wars together with the men. This did not in the least diminish their genuine femininity and womanhood.
Yes. This is a problem. Mongolian women should be taught other skills so they do not have to resort to this type of activity.
Absolutely love the photo!
In an age when even a young beautiful woman like Megan Fox feels the need to get plastic surgery, this photo of the Mongolian woman is refreshingly real and sexy.
Even if this fact has been downplayed in subsequent historical works written by (male) Western scholars, Mongolian women were routinely given extensive military training, and the strongest and most skilled of these fought in wars together with the men. This did not in the least diminish their genuine femininity and womanhood.