Pictures from Mongolia

[Rinchinlhumbe]

Originally Posted by Pakia

Thats my kind of muslims, who live by their religions peacefully, as its meant to.

that#s damn right. No violence between people of different religion (Buddhist, Shaminaism, Muslim, Christians) are repoirted throughout the country, same applies to the different ehtnicities living in Mongolia: Mongols, Kazakhs, Tuvins, Burjats and lots of other little minorities.

[Rinchinlhumbe]

Time to introduce another aimag: today it's time for Tov aimag. Tov - meaning "central" or "middle" is sort of "Mongolia light" or "Mongolia for beginners". It's not Kraftwerk but Scooter, not a mysterious underground bar but an ordinary Mc Donalds outlet. With 74.000 square kilometres it has about the size of Bavaria or slightly smaller than the Czech Republic.

The national capital Ulan Bator is located roughly at its center, but the city itself is administrated as an independent municipality.The Aimag includes the western part of the Khentii Mountains,

the mountains around the capital,

as well as rolling steppe in the south and west

[Rinchinlhumbe]

Despite encircling the 1-million-inhabitants capital, the province is as empty as every other province with only 90.000 people living within the province borders, which equals about 8% of Ulaanbaatars population!


The most interesting body of water is the Tuul River, which crosses Ulan Bator and later joins the Orkhon watering Lake Baikal.

The Töv aimag is populated primarily by Khalkh Mongols. Given its location, infrastructure is among the best in Mongolia, with paved roads, railway lines, tourist facilities, some industry and of course mining

[Rinchinlhumbe]

Why "Mongolian mainstream"? Because it is easily accessible for touristss in a rush, quite tamed because of its well developed facilities and it is not one of the most spectacular Mongolian aimags although it boasts some attractive sights as the ruins of Manchur monastery


The monastery is located only 30km away from Ulaanbaatar on the other other side of the city's Bogd Khan mountain. It can easily be visited within a half day trip. Aimag capital Zuunmod (nothing worth to write home about) is located just north of the monastery.
Like most Mongolian monastery it became victim of the Stalinies purges in 1937/38

[Rinchinlhumbe]

50km east of Ulaanbaatar, the Gorkhi-Terelj Park covers a part of the Khentii Mountains. It is most well known for its spectacular rock formations, including a rock that looks like a giant turtle from the right perspective. The landscape has an alpine character, with larch and pine forests, sparkling mountain rivers, and very diverse flora and fauna.

[Rinchinlhumbe]

The area features a golf course, a former old Soviet sanatory restored to a flashy 5 star hotel, a lot of ger camps as well as some bizarre concrete dinosaurs.

[Rinchinlhumbe]

"Montana of Mongolia?" a visitor might ask himself. Well, some parts of the NP actuaaly remind of the US-America's Marlboro country scenery.
And this might be the reason why former East German filmmakers used Terelj as a setting for former Wild West movies.
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, For a Few Dollars More, Hang 'Em High done by East Germans in Mongolia??? Yes, that was reality Once upon a Time in The Far East.

[Rinchinlhumbe]

Some more Terelj scenery

[Rinchinlhumbe]

Tov aimag random pic

[Rinchinlhumbe]

Khentii mountains


source: mostly panoramio/some Terelj pics from flickr
EDIT: ...and wikipedia

[going-higher]

nice pics! thanks for sharing. I wonder how long it gonna take for Mongolia capital Ulan Bator to look like cities of it Asian neighbor like China Korea Japan? anyway Mongolia is a Amazing country and i have a lot of respect for the Mongolian people.

[Rinchinlhumbe]

I doubt UB will ever look like Chinese and Japanese cities, since its culture is very different from its southern nieghbours. The capital might be the most "European" in Asia and this is not only due to its Soviet architecture.

Changes. Skyline in 2005:


2009:

(wikipedia)

Back in 1999 the city looked much more empty and "soviet" than on the 1st picture, e.g. there were no coloured buildings at all on the other side of the river in the center of the photograph.

[Rinchinlhumbe]

Some more pictures showing modern architecture

in this recently completed building there is a 6 storey shopping center.

[Rinchinlhumbe]

central Sukhbaatar square with Blue Sky Tower (110 meter) and Shangri La office building with an Louis Vitton outlet in the basement

[Rinchinlhumbe]

since the economy is on track again, construction has picked up again


(geu.de)

[ainttelling]

Mongolian Architecture Gallery

Orthodox Church of the Holy Trinity - 2001-2009 - Ulaanbaataar - Info (in Russian) and Some Photos (Low-Res)

image hosted on flickr


Picture Page | Roberto Saltori | Flickr

[Rekarte]

Rinchinlhumbe you´re mongol?

[Rinchinlhumbe]

Originally Posted by Rekarte

Rinchinlhumbe you´re mongol?

No...should I?

[Rinchinlhumbe]

just discoverede a very nice slideshow gallery by chance
http://www.kohl-expedition.com/mongolei/index.htm#

[Herbie Fully Loaded]

How beautiful Mongolian plains and mountains are! It sure holds it's charm.