Darhad Valley

Mongolia's Remote Northern Depression and Its Last Bastion of Shamanism

West of Khuvsgul Lake, across the Jiglegiin Davaa pass, lies the Darhad Depression — a vast, remote geological basin roughly 160 kilometres long and dotted with some 300 lakes and rivers. Home to the Darhad ethnic group and, in its far northern taiga, the Tsaatan reindeer herders, the valley is widely regarded as the last place in Mongolia where shamanism survives in something close to its original, unbroken form.

A Vast Geological Basin

The Darhad Depression sits at roughly 1,600 metres elevation between the Ulaan Taiga and Khoridol Saridag mountain ranges, covering some 4,270 square kilometres — comparable in size to Khuvsgul Lake itself. It holds some 300 lakes fed by countless rivers and streams, including the large Dood Tsagaan Lake and the Shishged River, part of the watershed that ultimately feeds Siberia’s Yenisei River.

Mongolia's Stronghold of Shamanism

The Darhad people, numbering around 16,000 to 20,000, have preserved shamanic practice more continuously here than almost anywhere else in Mongolia, a survival historians partly credit to the valley’s extreme geographic isolation, which limited the historical spread of Buddhism into the region. Shamans here are understood to be chosen by the spirits rather than self-selected, with the calling frequently passed down through families.

A Meeting Point of Cultures

While the Darhad themselves largely live in gers and herd livestock much like other Mongolians, the valley’s far northern taiga is also home to the Tsaatan reindeer herders, making Darhad one of the few places in the country where two distinct nomadic traditions exist within a single, extraordinarily remote landscape.

Gallery

• Explore one of Mongolia's most remote, lake-dotted landscapes
• Learn about Darhad shamanic traditions and their history
• Combine a visit with Tsaatan taiga communities further north
• Spot migratory birds across the valley's 300 lakes and wetlands