A museum on the history and culture of Mongolian nationality was opened to the public on Saturday in the tourism zone based on the Mausoleum of Genghis Khan in Erdos City, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

It is first professional museum dedicated to the history and culture of Mongolian nationality in the world, according to Yang Yong, the curator of the museum.

Apart from displays, the museum, with a floor space of 5,800 sq meters for exhibitions, will also serve as a center for reference, study and academic research, said Yang.

Genghis Khan (1162-1227), whose title means the "universal ruler", unified various Mongol tribes and established the great Mongol Empire in the 13th century. His grandson Kublai Khan established the imperial Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) in ancient China.

At the museum, the history of Mongolian nationality is illustrated in a 206-meter-long scroll of oil painting and an exhibition of cultural relics and other exhibits.

The oil painting tells about the birth and death of Genghis Khan, the founding of the imperial Yuan Dynasty, and the rise and fall of the Yuan Dynasty.

In the meantime, the culture of the Mongolian nationality is showcased in folkways involving pastoral herding, nomadic life, ways of entertainment, protocol, customs and religion.

(Xinhua News Agency June 20, 2005)