A Glimpse of Ulaanbaatar
Although vast portions of its land area are occupied by the steppes, the Gobi Desert, and mountainous forests; Mongolia‘s landscape is not totally rural. This exotic land is dotted everywhere by small towns called soums and several cities, the biggest of which is Ulaanbaatar (or Ulan Bator), the country’s capital. In fact, some experts estimate that around half of the Mongolian population of around 3 million people now reside in Ulaanbaatar and other major cities. Mongolia’s transition from a socialist system to a free market economy after the collapse of the Soviet Union seemed to have sent herders and rural folks flocking into the cities and urban centers. While this massive migration has caused a bunch of social problems; the Mongolian economy has performed exceedingly well in recent years. The recent boom in mining industry (mainly gold and copper) has replaced Mongolia’s dependence on its traditional livestock industry and, according to some estimates, is poised to propel the country to becoming the 4th fastest growing economy in the world! While this is mainly good news, this is expected to have adverse implications on nomadic herding and the traditional Mongolian lifestyle I’ve been writing about.
More than 90 percent of my time in Mongolia has been spent in Ulaanbaatar where work precedes hobby and where my camera was confined to my hotel room’s vault most of the time. Nevertheless, through several visits over many years, I was able to capture a small glimpse of the capital city through the photos below.
Changing skyline: Modern buildings have started rising over Ulaanbaatar's landscape in recent years
Sukhbaatar Square: A high-rise building towers over Sukhbaatar's monument
The Government Palace: Erased from history books during the Soviet era, Genghis Khan (sitting statue at the center) has retaken a prominent seat in Mongolian history and culture
International clubs and restos can now be found everywhere
Traces of old and new: An airline ad dominates the background of a Soviet era monument
Construction Boom: With Genghis Khan's figure at the background, Ulaanbaatar's skyline continues to evolve
Rural to urban: And the migrants continue to arrive and occupy the rapidly-growing "Ger Districts" around the city
Related articles
- The Ger: Faithful Mobile Home of Mongolian Nomads (travellingartist.wordpress.com)
- Under the Big Mongolian Sky: Echoes from the Steppes
- Tales of Gobi
- Magical Sand Dunes of the Gobi Desert
- The Nomadic Herder of Mongolia
The drag of endless mental work in a strange land takes its toll. Fatigue can kill so petty escapades provide hopeful deviations from the brewing madness. An aging DSLR keeps good company to a walk around the neighbourhood, a short drive to a scenic place, or a silent recollection in a quiet nook granting that the host community and the elements of nature would allow one a safe passage to solitude and contemplation. Loneliness quickly turns to joy when something exciting gets captured by the cam’s shutter then set free into the laptop’s screen followed by electric words that rush from the fingers to the keyboard in an effort to describe the moment. Alas, the brain is alive once again!
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wonderful pictures! I love the picture with Genghis Khan’s figure at the background
Great Images – I live the vibrance and negative space of the first the best!
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The city looks so different to what I remember from a decade ago – all those modern buildings are definately new!
This is a wonderful profile about Ulaanbaatar, a city that rarely makes the headlines in the States. I have always been intrigued by the city (even the name “Ulaanbaatar” is intriguing and makes me want to learn more). Thank you for this article and sharing many beautiful images from the Mongolian capital. This is marvelous.
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