Living Heritage China
Mongolian Khoomei singing scene with grassland textiles, morin khuur, bowl, and open-air performance space

Chinese Intangible Cultural Heritage | Khoomei | Throat Singing

Mongolian Khoomei

Mongolian Khoomei is a throat-singing art in which one singer can produce a low drone and overtone-like melodic layers, expressing Mongolian aesthetic ideas about nature, ancestors, heroes, and community occasions.

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Mongolian Khoomei | 蒙古族呼麦歌唱艺术

What is Mongolian Khoomei?

Mongolian Khoomei is a throat-singing art in which one singer can produce a low drone and overtone-like melodic layers, expressing Mongolian aesthetic ideas about nature, ancestors, heroes, and community occasions.

UNESCO inscribed Mongolian art of singing, Khoomei, on the Representative List in 2009.

Official China ICH sources describe Khoomei as a Mongolian vocal art in which a singer uses the body alone to create two voice parts at the same time, with practice in Inner Mongolia and related Mongolian communities.

Close detail of morin khuur strings, singer scarf, grassland pattern, and sound-wave inspired objects
Mongolian Khoomei becomes clearer when readers can see its instruments, materials, gestures, setting, or community context.

Traditional Music

Place, sound, movement, and use make the tradition concrete.

  • Two voice parts A singer sustains a bass element while shaping higher harmonic colors with the mouth and throat.
  • Nature imagery Songs express respect for nature, ancestors, heroes, and the wider Mongolian worldview.
  • Special occasions Khoomei appears in ritual ceremonies, tournaments, banquets, and organized cultural performance.
  • Transmission by practice Learning depends on breath, resonance, listening, imitation, and careful teacher correction.

Traditional Process

How Mongolian Khoomei is practiced

Khoomei singer practicing throat singing posture with horse-head fiddle and steppe festival objects
  1. Prepare breath and postureThe singer stabilizes the body, breath, mouth shape, and throat position.
  2. Find the droneA low sustained tone creates the foundation for overtone shaping.
  3. Shape harmonicsMouth cavity, tongue, lips, and resonance change the audible upper tones.
  4. Fit the occasionSongs and order may depend on ritual, tournament, banquet, or stage context.
  5. Train with a bearerTeachers help learners avoid strain while building tone, control, repertoire, and style.

Heritage Facts

Mongolian Khoomei belongs to a living knowledge system.

Practiced especially in Inner Mongolia, including Xilingol, Hulunbuir, Hohhot, and Mongolian communities connected with Altai and steppe vocal traditions.

Chinese Name蒙古族呼麦歌唱艺术
UNESCO ListingUNESCO inscribed Mongolian art of singing, Khoomei, on the Representative List in 2009.
CategoryTraditional music, vocal art, social practice, ritual and festival performance
Materials, Tools, or ElementsVoice, throat resonance, breath, oral cavity shaping, teacher guidance, sometimes morin khuur or other music setting
Common UsesRitual ceremonies, horse racing, archery and wrestling events, banquets, teaching, stage performance, ethnic identity
SEO Topic ClusterMongolian music, throat singing, Inner Mongolia heritage, vocal technique

FAQ

Common questions about Mongolian Khoomei

Can one singer really make more than one sound?
Yes. Khoomei uses throat resonance and mouth shaping so a low drone and higher harmonic color can be heard together.

Where is the China-listed form practiced?
Official sources emphasize Inner Mongolia, including Xilingol, Hulunbuir, Hohhot, and related Mongolian communities.

Is Khoomei only a vocal trick?
No. The heritage includes aesthetics, occasion, repertoire, training, and cultural ideas about nature, ancestors, heroes, and identity.

Sources and Related Guides

Continue through Chinese living heritage.

Official China ICH Source

Mongolian Khoomei Singing Art

Reference source used for heritage status, terminology, and factual grounding.
UNESCO Reference

Mongolian art of singing, Khoomei

Reference source used for heritage status, terminology, and factual grounding.
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