{"id":7438,"date":"2024-11-05T21:27:17","date_gmt":"2024-11-05T12:27:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mongol-jyouba-gakkou.com\/blog\/?p=7438"},"modified":"2026-11-08T09:38:10","modified_gmt":"2026-11-08T00:38:10","slug":"mongolian-ger-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mongol-jyouba-gakkou.com\/blog\/en\/mongolian-ger-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Mongolian Ger vs Yurt: Structure, Parts and House Rules Explained"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Mongolian<\/p>\n

Sain baina uu! I’m Takeshi from Tsogto Mongol Horse Riding Tour.<\/p>\n

The traditional Mongolian home is called a ger<\/strong>. You may know it as a yurt<\/em> \u2014 and in China it is called a bao<\/em> (or “pao”). It is a round house made of a wooden frame wrapped in sheep’s-wool felt, and nomads take it apart and carry it with them every time they move with their animals.<\/p>\n

Here I explain the difference between a ger and a yurt, the names of each part, and the house rules to follow inside \u2014 with some stories from my own nights in gers on the steppe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Name<\/th>\nOrigin<\/th>\nWhere it is used<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Ger<\/td>\nMongolian for “home”<\/td>\nMongolia<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Bao \/ Pao<\/td>\nChinese \u5305<\/td>\nInner Mongolia (China)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Yurt (yurta)<\/td>\nTurkic\/Russian name<\/td>\nCentral Asia, e.g. Kyrgyzstan; common in English<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Ger, Yurt, Bao \u2014 Mostly Just Different Names<\/h2>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

All of these names refer to a round, portable house with a wooden frame covered in felt. The main difference is the language of the people using the word.<\/p>\n

“Ger” means “home” in Mongolian<\/h3>\n

\"Ger<\/p>\n

The Mongolian word \u0433\u044d\u0440 (ger) simply means “home.” The word for “family” is \u0431\u04af\u043b \u0433\u044d\u0440 \u2014 it contains the word ger too, which shows how central the ger is to nomadic life.<\/p>\n

“Bao” comes from Chinese<\/h3>\n

\"Ger<\/p>\n

In Inner Mongolia, where Chinese is the official language, the same home is called a bao (\u5305). Some say it got the name because it looks like a steamed bun, baozi<\/em> \u2014 and next to Mongolian buuz<\/em> dumplings, the round roof really does look similar! When you travel in Mongolia, “ger” is the word to remember.<\/p>\n

In Kyrgyzstan it is a yurt<\/h3>\n

\"Kyrgyz<\/p>\n

Similar round homes are found across Central Asia. In Kyrgyzstan they are called yurts. A Mongolian ger has two posts in the middle; a Kyrgyz yurt has none. Gers are also lower than yurts \u2014 another easy way to tell them apart.<\/p>\n

Ger Structure and the Names of Its Parts<\/h2>\n

\"Wooden<\/p>\n

A ger is a wooden frame layered with felt and wrapped in white canvas. Each part of the frame has its own name:<\/p>\n