自由與民主在生命中是理所當然。讀著課本中邁向民主進程的過程，息息相關卻如此遙遠，自由與民主給予我們意識說話的權力。而在秋意到來的日子，翻著幾週觀影後的隨記，思考並回憶著蒙古友人分享蒙古國邁入民主化的歷史，想著，於是翻起一張張旅行時的照片。
(English is below.)
猶記夢裡那廣闊的景色，馬兒在旁側奔跑，我坐在馬上，望著遠方，前方有牧羊人家在趕牛羊，孩兒在草原上嬉戲，夢著…… 軟綿的草依舊如此翠綠,我看著前方的太陽，追著，追尋遙遠的歸屬，心總是感慨，我的家。望著山、望著湖、望著遼闊的草原，夜晚冷冽，吐出陣陣的白煙，似夢非夢。
蒙古，極純粹的美麗
這段話，是2015年出版世界遺產叢書 — — 蒙古國的序言，循著記憶寫下對蒙古的感受，在記憶中，廣闊的大地帶來自由的氛圍。2014年開始，說多不多，說少不少，不自覺也去了四趟蒙古國。起初到訪為了探訪文化遺產，後續回訪則為了這片純粹自然不過的土地、真性情的友人們。只是，看似自由的蒙古，在開放前作為蘇聯的附庸國渡過了很長的一段時日。
幾週前，再次刷了《烏蘭巴托的搖滾現場》Live from UB （Lauren Knapp／2015／紀錄片／彩色／83 mins），蒙古作為蘇聯附庸國時 — — 蘇維埃共產主義時期，除了傳統民俗音樂，西方音樂文化為蒙古邁向自由民主扮演了潛移默化的關鍵角色。這部電影紀錄著自1970年代起，探索形塑自由現代化時音樂扮演的角色，如何成為蒙古國邁向民主的養分，傳播蒙古民族意識的媒介。透過紀錄Mohanik獨立樂團創作作品時，將傳統與西方文化融入音樂裡，如何透過音樂鍛造新的文化認同。
最印象深刻的莫過於1989年讓民主遍地開花的一首歌 — — Khonkni Duu，英文為The Ringing of the Bell，這鈴聲響遍整個蒙古，使蒙古民主的進程向前邁進。在2012年，更發表由12位歌手錄製而成的Khonkni Duu，以紀念民主化的過程。友人雖只是與我簡略的描述歷史，他說著自由經濟產生許多問題，但仍覺得比起社會主義時，現在更好，因能更有發聲/生的空間與權利。
‘Khonkny Duu’ Lyrics
I had a nightmare last night
As if a long arm tortured me,
Strangling my words and blinding me.
Luckily, the bell rang and woke me;
The ring of the bell rouses us.
The bell that woke me in the morning,
Let it toll across the broad steppes,
Reverberating mile after mile.
Let the bell carry our yearning
And revive all our hopes.
歷經民主化的歷程，現今的蒙古是一個自由民主國家。阿拉伯之春（阿拉伯語：الثورات العربية、英語：Arab Spring），又稱「阿拉伯覺醒」、「阿拉伯起義」後，開啟中東社會運動浪潮的興起。阿拉伯之春於2010年年底間，由北非與西亞的阿拉伯國家等發生一系列以民主與經濟為議題的社會運動 – – 一波革命浪潮。由於專制體制，部分國家民眾紛紛走上街頭，擴延至埃及、利比亞、葉門、敘利亞等國，似乎「一個新中東即將誕生」；但並非各國都成功轉型，邁向民主化的過程，卻也使得動亂與恐怖組織趁亂局崛起，進入長期戰亂之中，引發歐洲移民危機，稱阿拉伯之冬。如《藝術戰爭》（Art War）（Marco Wilms／2014／84mins）中紀錄了埃及藝術家如何透過藝術作為反抗政府的手段，喚起社會對公眾事務的關注，與推動公民議題的發展。
民族、宗教信仰、傳統價值揉雜交錯的中東，伴隨著許多複雜情感。無論哪個地區、國度，民主化總伴隨著艱辛與漫長的過程，直至今日，因近代戰爭型態的改變、饑荒、社會結構改變等，人們仍不斷移徙，似乎永遠沒有終點。這股運動的浪潮還在持續著，風依舊在歐亞大陸吹著，領著自由的信鴿前往各處，響了一些鈴，人們依舊追尋、追尋遙遠的歸屬，希冀結成甜美的果實。
（阿拉伯之春的背景介紹）
In pursuit — seeking a belonging that lies far away
Freedom and democracy often feel like something we take for granted in life. Reading about the processes of democratization in textbooks, they seem both deeply connected to us and yet distant. Freedom and democracy grant us the awareness and the right to speak.
On an autumn day, as I flipped through notes written after weeks of watching films, I found myself reflecting on conversations with Mongolian friends about their country’s path toward democracy. And so, I began to look again at photographs from my travels.
I still remember the vast landscapes that appeared in my dreams: horses running alongside me as I rode, gazing into the distance. Ahead, herders guided their cattle and sheep, while children played freely on the grasslands. I kept dreaming… The soft grass remained vividly green. I looked toward the sun, chasing it—searching for a distant sense of belonging. My heart was filled with a quiet longing: my home. Mountains, lakes, and endless steppes stretched before me. At night, the cold air turned breath into mist—half dream, half reality.
Mongolia—pure, unadorned beauty.
These words were written as the preface to a World Heritage publication on Mongolia in 2015, capturing my impressions through memory. In those memories, the vast land carried with it a profound sense of freedom. Since 2014, I have visited Mongolia four times. My first visit was driven by an interest in cultural heritage; subsequent visits drew me back to its unfiltered natural landscapes and the sincerity of its people. Yet beneath this apparent freedom lies a history—Mongolia spent a long period as a Soviet satellite state before its political opening.
A few weeks ago, I revisited the documentary Live from UB (Lauren Knapp, 2015). During the Soviet era, beyond traditional folk music, Western musical influences played a subtle yet crucial role in Mongolia’s journey toward freedom and democracy. The film traces how music, since the 1970s, became a force in shaping modern identity and democratic consciousness. It documents how bands like Mohanik blended traditional and Western elements, forging new cultural identities through sound.
One of the most memorable elements is the song Khonkni Duu (“The Ringing of the Bell”), which in 1989 became a symbolic anthem of democratization, echoing across Mongolia and propelling its democratic movement forward. In 2012, a new version recorded by twelve singers was released to commemorate this historical transition. A friend once told me that although the shift to a free market brought many challenges, life today still feels better than during the socialist era—because people now have greater space and rights to express themselves.
‘Khonkni Duu’ (The Ringing of the Bell)
I had a nightmare last night
As if a long arm tortured me,
Strangling my words and blinding me.
Luckily, the bell rang and woke me;
The ring of the bell rouses us.
The bell that woke me in the morning,
Let it toll across the broad steppes,
Reverberating mile after mile.
Let the bell carry our yearning
And revive all our hopes.
After undergoing democratization, Mongolia is now a free and democratic country. In contrast, the Arab Spring—also known as the Arab Awakening—sparked a wave of social movements across North Africa and West Asia beginning in late 2010. These movements, driven by demands for democracy and economic reform, spread across countries such as Egypt, Libya, Yemen, and Syria. For a moment, it seemed that “a new Middle East” might emerge. However, not all countries succeeded in transitioning toward democracy. Instead, political instability allowed conflicts and extremist groups to rise, leading to prolonged unrest and what has been termed the “Arab Winter,” alongside the European refugee crisis.
The documentary Art War (Marco Wilms, 2014) captures how Egyptian artists used art as a form of resistance against authoritarian regimes, raising public awareness and engaging with civic issues.
In the Middle East—where ethnicity, religion, and traditional values intertwine—complex emotions persist. No matter the region or country, democratization is always a long and difficult process. Even today, due to shifting forms of warfare, famine, and structural inequalities, people continue to migrate, as if the journey has no end.
The waves of these movements continue. The winds still sweep across the Eurasian continent, carrying messages of freedom like messenger doves. Bells continue to ring. People continue searching—searching for a distant sense of belonging, hoping that one day these struggles will bear meaningful and lasting fruit.