Yurt History
Yurts are a part of Central Asian identity. Central Asian nomads historically moved several times a year. Merchants and skilled woodworkers would sell or trade ger construction materials in different forms. They trade logs of willow or birch for the least amount of goods or services. For a medium price, consumers could trade pre-cut poles. For the highest price, they could buy complete khana. The thick felt, or non-woven wool, used to cover gers came from the nomads’ own animals. The traditional method of felting wool among steppe communities was to wet it thoroughly, roll it around a pole, wrap it in yak hide and drag it behind a galloping horse. It efficiently compressed the wool fibres to tough, sturdy felt. Yurts have been well-documented throughout history.
Inner Mongolia was founded in 1947. It is an autonomous region in the far north of China, bordering Mongolia, part of a beautiful grassland region that covers much of East Asia. This fertile, flat, open land, with lofty mountains and deep lakes, ranges from -30 degrees in Winter to +40 degrees in Summer. 
It has a history dating back tens of thousands of years, and legend says it was the birthplace of Far East civilization. People of this region have lived in yurts for much of this time, as they are ideally suited to these regions with extremes of temperature and powerful winds. Their yurts were designed to be easy to take down and move, ideally suited to the Mongol nomadic lifestyle. The region of Inner Mongolia was part of the warrior leader Ghengis Khans’ homeland. According to legend, Genghis Khan’s ger was never entirely dismantled. Instead, it was mounted on a huge, wheeled cart pulled by 22 oxen. The ger was 9 meters (30 feet) in diameter and guarded by Mongolian soldiers and cavalry at all times.
In the 13th/14th century, Ghengis Khans united the nomadic tribes of the grasslands and created a fierce army that conquered lands as far away as Turkey. Today, Ghengis Khans’ mausoleums can be found in Erdos City, Inner Mongolia. Our business is based in the northern Inner Mongolian City of Hohhot, a grassland area known for its ‘Dayao’ and ‘Hetao’ minorities, whose lineage directly traces back to the Mongol leader. This vibrant city is an eastern mix of old and new worlds, where values and traditions still hold strong despite the ever-increasing effects of a rapidly globalized planet. In keeping with the traditional ways, all our yurts are made to the exact design the local nomads have used for a millennium, with a few improvements to enable them to adapt to wetter weather conditions in the UK and Europe.