You may well be surprised when you start exploring and sightseeing in Ulaanbaatar. For a start it is a big city with close to one million people (out of a total population in Mongolia of about three million). And it is very cosmopolitan. That is not to say that it doesn't have old and interesting things too, because it does. A few days or so in this city would be a great introduction to Mongolia before you start to venture into the countryside, as would be a day or so at the end of your Mongolian tourist adventure.
Some words of warning: some places are hard to find, some have disappeared to a new address (which no-one seems to know) and watch your valuables!
Downtown
Walking is better than catching a bus or taxi when you are sightseeing, unless you have to go a long distance. In that way you will avoid getting stuck in traffic jams. The downside is that you will have to cross streets, and that is an exercise in suicide. It is best to work on the premise that vehicles will not stop for you. Even if the light is green at a pedestrian crossing you are in danger of getting sideswiped by a turning vehicle. It is best to move with the locals and other tourists, and keep alert!
There are many, many shops to peruse as you walk along. Some, such as the State Department Store in Peace Avenue, have a range of goods from basics to luxuries, as well as souvenirs; others are more specialised. Items to sell can include: books, bread, cameras, canned fish, cards, cheese, chocolate, Christmas trees, clothes, encyclopedias, facemasks, footwear, fruit, hats, mats, meat, shampoo, tea, trinkets .........
Street vendors sell: cigarettes, fruit, pictures, stamps, sunglasses, sweets, wipes and offer services such as providing a telephone, shining shoes and weighing you.
Eating out is easy. There are many choices (most at reasonable prices): American, Brazilian, Central Asian, Chinese, Cuban, Dutch, English, French, German, Greek, Hawaiian, Indian, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mexican, Mongolian, Russian, South African, Turkish........
The Winter Palace
This palace was the home of the last Bogd Khan (a religious leader, like the Dalai Lama in Tibet) and his wife. It has a rather rundown look to it, but that makes it more authentic. There is a strong Russian influence from Tsarist times as the main building was designed by a Russian. More typical Chinese Buddhist features were added. It is quite an interesting place, with sculptures, painted scrolls, furniture, presents from foreign dignitaries (including a robe made from 80 fox skins) and a rather weird collection of stuffed animals.
Gandan Khiid (monastery)
The monastery was purged in 1937 but regained some of its former glory and became functional again by 1990. There are many small buildings but the highlight is a huge structure containing a 26 metre-high, copper and gold covered Buddha, built in 1996.
National Museum of Mongolian History
There is a very good display here of Mongolia's history, going back to the earliest times. As expected the life and times of Chinggis Khaan (Genghis Khan) feature. It is well worth it to get an English-speaking tourist guide to help you with the exhibits.
Museum of Natural History
In a rather decrepit building are packed lots and lots of exhibits. The dinosaur display is the highlight for tourists, but there is plenty for all tastes, whether it be stuffed birds and animals or geological specimens(including a sample of a rock named mongolite, which is found in Mongolia and eastern Siberia, and which was identified as a new rock type only quite recently).
Mongolian National Modern Art Gallery
This fine exhibition of art and craft is rather hard to find. It is east of the northeast part of Suhbaatar Square, off the street named Amaryn Gudamj, behind some buildings. It has a mix of paintings displayed, including two magnificent mountain scenes which show a fine sense of composition and light, and various sculptures, some carved in granite.
Russian Orthodox Church
This church building was constructed in 2007. It is smaller than ones in Moscow but has a brilliantly white outside surface, with the usual crosses and "onions" of gold. Inside, it is small but beautifully done out with paintings of religious figures on the ceiling and walls, and plenty of gold and red, plus a 0.5 metre-block of amethyst. A magnificent building!
Mongolian Music and Dance Group
Their performances are a must-see. They are wonderful. You may get to see and hear: performances by the full orchestra, zither and horse-head fiddle players, throat singers, ordinary singers, traditional dancers and contortionists. Mongolians are brilliant musical performers, who love entertaining tourists.
Suburbs
A sightseeing trip into one of the suburbs is worth it. One good one is the Zaisan Hill area to the south, close to the Bogd Khan range of hills. Take #7, 33 or 43 bus (fare equivalent 20 US cents one way) from the top end of Chinggis Khaan Avenue and get off at the stop near the mini-market and Irish Castle hotel. This area is a maze of multi-storey apartment blocks, rundown houses, gers (Mongolian felt tents), a water supply shed, old and new shops and new restaurants, fences in various states of stability, color and material, dodgy wires and leaning poles, rough, dusty and potholed streets, broken sidewalks and lots of litter.
People mingle at the bus stops, students from the nearby university flood the area when school starts or finishes, the rich roar through in their 4WDs cocooned from ordinary life, buses graunch and grind their way along, and the odd dog or cow adds to the scene.
Above the noise and bustle is the Zaisan Hill. It takes about 20 minutes to climb up the track to the top. You do have to be careful of the broken glass from old vodka and beer bottles on the way. The top is marked by a memorial built by the Russians to commemorate the heroes who fought in wars. There are great views, especially of the city.
So, if you are thinking of Mongolia as a destination for a tourist holiday, remember Ulaanbaatar offers much to complement your visits to the wide, open spaces of the Mongolian countryside.
John Brundall - Hi there My name is John Brundall. I live in New Zealand - I was born and bred there. I graduated with a master's degree in ...
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