[4][5] The term "Hanggai" itself is a Mongolian word referring to an idealized natural landscape of sprawling grasslands, mountains, rivers, trees, and blue skies.
[6] The band was created when Ilchi, captivated by the sound of throat singing and wanting to rediscover his ethnic heritage, travelled to Inner Mongolia to learn the art.
[1] These eclectic experiences have come together to give Hanggai a unique sound, blending Mongolian folk music with more popular forms such as punk.
[6] In each of their albums, the band has also made heavy use of electric guitars, computer programming, bass, and banjoes in order to create a more seamless and modern sound.
"[1] Although many of their songs, such as Wuji, hark back to a simpler pastoral past with lyrics, such as "The beloved grasslands where I was born [...] I will sing my praise to you for ever [..] My beloved Mongolian homeland [...] I will sing to you playing my banjo [...]", a large portion of the album itself is interjected with the sounds of Beijing street traffic speaking further to the complications of finding one's ethnic identity in the face of a more dominant mainstream culture.
"[2] Hanggai is one of five bands in the documentary Beijing Bubbles—Punk and Rock in China's Capital, which was directed by George Lindt and Susanne Messmer.
By playing Mongolian folk songs while also incorporating modes of popular music, Hanggai is creating a medium through which it is effectively able to express the voice of a generation yearning to reconnect with its ethnic roots in the face of a dominating mainstream culture.
[citation needed] The band has hosted the Hanggai Music Festival yearly since 2010, inviting acts such as Huun-Huur-Tu and The Randy Abel Stable.
[16] The band performed at the 2018 Battle of the Nations (Medieval Tournament) at Santa Severa outside Rome as post fight entertainment.