TOP ATTRACTIONS OF EASTERN MONGOLIAN

The Birthplace of Great Chinggis Khan (Genghis Khan), who ruled the world in the 13th century, is an untouched, unexplored, and mysterious travel destination of Eastern Mongolia. The land of well-respected high mountains, taiga forests, wide-open steppe grassland, rivers, lakes, and other places is written into the world history of the 13th century. sustainable travel

Genghis Khan is the most outstanding leader in human history. None of the empires reached the Great Mongolian Empire, which established and ruled the world. The most inspiring way to travel in Eastern Mongolia is to explore the historical routes of Chinggis Khan. The Birthplace of Great Chinggis Khan (Genghis Khan), who ruled the world in the 13th century, is an untouched, unexplored, and mysterious travel destination of Eastern Mongolia. The land of well-respected high mountains, taiga forests, wide-open steppe grassland, rivers, lakes, and other places is written into the world history of the 13th century. sustainable travel

Genghis Khan is the most outstanding leader in human history. None of the empires reached the Great Mongolian Empire, which established and ruled the world. The most inspiring way to travel in Eastern Mongolia is to explore the historical routes of Chinggis Khan. sustainable travel

MENEN STEPPE sustainable travel

A lady is standing in under the blue sky.

Menen steppe, the most significant and even steppe in Mongolia, is 90 km long and 60 km wide. It's located 805 km to the East of Ulaanbaatar and 150 km to the southeast of Choibalsan, the capital of Dornod Province. The steppe is surrounded by the Khalkh River, the Khayngan Range, and the Dariganga Steppe, with ancient dormant volcanoes. The steppe shows a landscape with mat grasses and is home to antelopes. 70% percent of the total Mongolian antelopes are here.

According to previous research, the total number of antelopes in Mongolia is 1.2 million. Hilly steppe and even steppe landscapes without any mountains dominate this area. Pikas, hedgehogs, hares, wolves, foxes, musk, deer, badgers, and antelopes are found here. The steppe is divided into two parts: the northern steppe of the Kherlen River and the steppe of Tamsag. sustainable travel

1. The north steppe of the Kherlen River covers an area from the mentioned river to Mongolia's northern border. Small, low ridges, highlands, and low dips, with salty lakes, have generally characterized the steppe. The absolute altitude of the steppe ranges from 560 to 1200 m. The lowest point is 560 m in Mongolian territory, and mat grasses cover it. sustainable travel

2. The steppe of Tamsag is from Choibalsan town to the Khalkh River and Khyangan range, or in the south of the Kherlen River. The steppe is very even; highlands and low dips are rarely found here. The absolute altitude is 600-800 m. For fauna, mat-grasses, wormwoods, and couch grass dominate here.

A protected area in Eastern Mongolia was established in 1992 to conserve the mat grass ecosystem and antelope populations. The secure site includes Erdenetsagan sum of Sukhbaatar province and Matad and Khalkh gol sums of Dornod Province. sustainable travel

BUIR NUUR - BUIR LAKE

Buir Lake is the largest lake on the Mongolian steppe and lies within the East Mongolian Strictly Protected Area's surrounding zone. It is a tectonic lake but belongs to the steppe lakes shore type, 65 km west of the Khalkh Gol soum center. The longest is 40 km from northeast to southwest, and the widest is 40 km. sustainable travel
The shoreline is 118 km long and is considered Mongolia's fifth-largest lake, with an average depth of 6 m. The junction of the Khalkh Gol River and Buir Lake is excellent because it has many swamps, reeds, and willow groves where many migratory birds gather to nest and lay eggs. The Khalkha Gol River mainly feeds the Buir Lake, but the Orshuun River begins here and flows into Dalai Lake. Buir Lake freezes in November with a 1-1.5m thickness. sustainable travel
The lake has fresh water and is home to many fish species. There are 34 fish species across six classifications; 12 are essential for hunting, namely taimen, ide, lenok, rockfish, crucian, pike, silurus, and false asp. Besides, 236 species have been found around Buir Lake, and many birds are listed in the Mongolian and international Red Data Books. This lake was added to the Ramsar Convention in 2004 because it is home to over 20.000 birds. sustainable travel

KHAR ZURKHNII KHUKH NUUR - BLUE LAKE OF THE BLACK HEART

This lake is situated near the Tsenkher River, 35km north of the main road in the eastern region and northwest of Tsenkher Mandal Sum, Khentii Aimag. A freshly watered Lake Khukh, consisting of 2 lakes linked underground, is located south of Mount Kharzurkh, 1675m above sea level.

A lake area is a place of natural beauty surrounded by mountains and abundant in various animal and vegetation species. In this place, Temuujin was crowned as the king of the Mongolian united tribes and titled “Chinggis Khan,” which means great Oceanic king, in 1189. In the Secret History of Mongols, a chronicle book of Chinggis Khan’s life, place names such as Lake Khukh, Mount Kharzurkh, and Sengur Gorkhi were mentioned. On the bank of the lake, there is a monument dedicated to the 840th anniversary of Chinggis Khan's birth. In a crescent-shaped area surrounding the memorial with a diameter of 108m, woodcrafts of 36 royal or golden lineage kings were placed. sustainable travel

In the central part of this establishment, the woodcrafts of Genghis Khan, his father Esukhei, his mother Oulen, and his queen Borte Ujin were displayed. Boards with deeds’ inscriptions of a particular king and specific events of that period in English and Mongolian are in front of the king’s woodcrafts. This memorial complex consists of 50 woodcrafts, including nine marshals of Genghis Khan, arranged on either side of the main gate. sustainable travel

KHALKHIIN GOL - KHALKH RIVER sustainable travel

Located in the southeast, this area was the site 1939 of a fierce battle between Japanese, Mongol, and Soviet troops' joint forces. The Japanese, already in control of Manchuria (which they called Manchuguo), planned to invade Mongolia and set up a puppet state there. The Soviets, threatened by Japanese imperialism in the East, quickly reacted and bulked up their forces along the front lines. Hundreds of tanks, canons, airplanes, and thousands of troops faced one another across the Khalkha River. sustainable travel
Although border skirmishes had been ongoing since 1935, the first serious battle occurred in May 1939. The Japanese were pushed back, but they launched a massive ground force in July. Three wars left 18100 Japanese dead and over 48000 wounded. As for the Soviets' loss, which equaled 8900 dead and nearly 16000 wounded, the eighth Mongolian cavalry division played a minor role in the fighting; it lost 237 men. Diplomats representing the USSR and Japan met several times after the battle. Finally, in October 1941, all sides signed a document to determine the extent of the Mongolian borders.

The Japanese, now seeing the Soviets' determination in Mongolia (and therefore in Siberia), turned towards Southeast Asia. However, the situation remained tense, and vast numbers of Soviet border guards were strung across the frontier. The Khalkha River flows through the Sumber Sum. The main town, Tsagaannuur, is 375 kilometers southeast of Choibalsan. The museum here explains in detail the battle of Khalkhin Gol. A sizeable Japanese cemetery attracts many visitors from that country every year.

BALDAN BEREEVEN MONASTERY sustainable travel

Baldan Bereeven Monastery is a Gelugpa "Yellow hat" Buddhist monastery located in the Baruun Jargalt River valley, Khentii Province in Mongolia, first established in 1654. The monastery grew to be one of the largest and most significant in Mongolia at its height in the mid-19th century, housing up to 8000 monks. sustainable travel

Unfortunately, the monastery and temple complex were destroyed by the Mongolian communist regime in 1937. Many of the remaining monks were forcibly removed, shot, and buried in mass graves, while others were forcibly laicized and sent to labor camps. Younger monks were returned to their families. The monastery’s precious relics were melted down and delivered to the Soviet Union for use during World War II. sustainable travel

Baldan Bereeven remained off-limits for nearly six decades. Following the democratic revolution in 1990, a handful of older monks were removed from Baldan Bereevan, as young boys who had been raised in the 1930s returned to the monastery. Restoration efforts for several of the monasteries' main temples began in 1999. In 2012, Baldan Bereeven Monastery and the surrounding area were added to the tentative list for nomination as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. sustainable travel

IKH NART NATURE RESERVE

Ikh Nart Nature Reserve Is Situated about 300 km south-southeast of Ulaanbaatar. The most common way to access Ikh Nart is by car, while some people reach Shivee Gobi station by train. Then arrange a vehicle to drive to Ikh Nart, 50 km one-way and 100 km return. Ikh Nart is home to 33 species of mammals, six species of reptiles, 125 species of birds, and over 200 species of plants. sustainable travel
Established in 1996, Ikh Nart Nature Reserve covers about 66,000 hectares of grassland, semi-desert steppe, and granite stone zones, where projects to protect Argali wild sheep, Siberian Ibex, and Cinereous Vultures are being implemented. sustainable travel

As Argali is an original project, many visitors visit the nature reserve to observe the wild sheep in their natural habitat and enjoy the calmness of the Gobi Desert. Eco-friendly glamping or camping are options for staying in the nature reserve. sustainable travel