| Page Views: 982 Last Visit to Ulaanbaatar: September, 2006 | Ulaanbaatar by ValbyDK - last update: Nov 2, 2008 |
|  | ULAANBAATAR - FACTS Ulaanbaatar is the capital city of Mongolia and has an estimated population of 1 million. Around 40% of Mongolia's entire population now lives in Ulaanbaatar and the city is the political, economic, and cultural centre of Mongolia.
The city was founded in 1639 - not as a city as we know today, but as a nomadic settlement that moved around many times along the valleys of the Orkhon, Selenge, and Tuul rivers in north-central Mongolia. The city finally settled in its current location in 1778, when the Tea Road, the overland trade route from Beijing to St. Petersburg, made it an important commercial centre.
The name of the city has also changed a number of times, but since 1924, the name has been Ulaanbaatar, which means Red Hero and is a reference to national hero Sükhbaatar. During the socialist period many temples and monasteries were destroyed and most of the old quarters of Ulaanbaatar were replaced by Soviet-style blocks of flats - often financed by the Soviet Union.
In 1990, Sükhbaatar Square - in the centre of Ulaanbaatar - was the site of demonstrations that led to Mongolia's transition to democracy.
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| | MY VISIT I stayed 5 days in Ulaanbaatar in September 2006 and to keep it short, I was mostly impressed by the countryside and the friendly people. I visited the Gorkhi-Terelj National Park about 80km from Ulaanbaatar and the landscape was absolutely stunning. There are also a few other national parks which are reachable on day trips from Ulaanbaatar and a visit to one of the park is a must do in Ulaanbaatar (especially if you are not going to the Gobi desert).
The people were generally very friendly and sometimes we were approached on the street. Not in a pushy way and I got the impression that people just wanted to be friendly and helpful (and test their English skills). But read my warning tips because not all people were friendly
I will not describe Ulaanbaatar as a pretty city. Parts of the city were run down and dirty and traffic was terrible in the centre of Ulaanbaatar. However, still a great place and so different from many other cities I have visited. The city centre has a few interesting sights, for example the Gandantegchinlen Khiid monastery, the Sükhbaatar Square and the National Museum.
As mentioned I stayed 5 days in Ulaanbaatar, but I think 3-4 days are enough to explore the city.
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| Pros: | "Amazing countryside..." | | Cons: | "Traffic, aggressive pickpockets..." |
ValbyDK's Ulaanbaatar Travel Tips
 Comments for ValbyDK about Ulaanbaatar | | | | |
balhannah Mon Aug 17, 2009 08:38 UTC
This must have been an interesting holiday for you. I know very little about Mongolia, so thanks for the virtual tour, I have learnt something about the country through your writing. | BillNJ Sun Oct 12, 2008 16:45 UTC
Nice tips and photos. Looks like an interesting place to visit. | hunterV Thu Sep 4, 2008 19:54 UTC
Hello, Klaus! You've been there! Good for you! Thanks for your page! | SLLiew Fri Jul 18, 2008 12:40 UTC
Cool page of Ulaanbaatar. Like the musuem tips and warning tips! Always impressed by the dinosaurus bones. |
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