Travelling Southern Region
Before You Travel
Along with natural riches the aimag is endowed in coal, copper ore, iron ore, fluorspar, nephrite, jade, graphite, marble and chalcedony. The main branch of the economy is animal husbandry.
Baga Gazrin Chuluu is a granite rock formation rises up from a middle of dusty plains at the height of 1,768m. Rock carvings made by two revered lamas who lived in 19th century are worshipped by the locals and other pilgrims from other parts of the country. A cave with an underground lake is nestled in the heart of the mountain.
Ongiin Khiid the only monastery that survived the Stalinist purges out of nine by turning into a warehouse and shop reopened in 1990 and visited by current Dalai Lama in 1992. The monastery built to commemorate the first ever visit of Dalai Lama to Mongolia once was used by 500 lamas.
The Duut rock inscriptions have been surprisingly well preserved in view of the fact that the 30 line poem was carved by Prince Tsogt Taij in 1636, a well-known poet of 17th century.
Dornogovi aimag is situated in the South-East of the country and borders with China on the South. The area is famous for medical herbs such as liquor rice, cuscuta australis, and annual, perennial species like wild leek, saksaul, elm, allium mongolicum and saltwort. The wildlife representatives are wild horse, wild ass, wild sheep, ibex, black tailed antelope, white antelope, and lynx.
Sainshand is 463 km from Ulaanbaatar city and is a key international railway hub linking Moscow-Ulaanbaatar-Beijing. The aimag has reserves of fluorspar, oil, and bituminous coal. In the 1950s, oil was extracted at the Zuunbayan soum and, at present, a plant is being built to reinstate the oil extraction.
Dornogovi is home to Noyon Khutagt Danzanravjaa (1803-56), a distinguished writer, composer, painter and healer. Sainshand has a museum with collection of gifts presented to Danzanravjaa by Chinese and Tibetan leaders, costumes used in his plays, Buddhist statues presented to him by the 10th Dalai Lama, and some of his paintings. He was also very interested in traditional medicine, so the museum has a collection of herbs.
Khamariin Khiidhas always been referred to as the energy center of Mongolia where locals believe that there is a living god. The image of the god is sewn into a carpet decorating the main hall of the monastery. The original monastery was built in 1821 by Danzanravjaa and destroyed during the religious purges. The surrounding landscape has caves for meditation where Danzanravjaa retreated with his students.
Umnugovi aimag people take tremendous pride in their land stretching nearly 2,000 km across the bottom third of Mongolia – and with many good reasons! Over 250 species of plant grow on the territory of the aimag including medicinal plants and herbs such as astragalus, gentian, flavor nitracia, cynomorium, agriophyllium, and trees such as saksaul, oleaster, populus diversifolia and elm. The rare animals include wild horses, wild sheep, ibex, wild camels, black tailed antelopes, white antelopes, lynxes, foxes, rabbits, and badgers.
While the largest aimag in the country has a population density of 0.3 persons per square km, it is home to one-quarter or 93,000 domesticated two-humped Bactrian camels.
The 100 km long Khongoriin Els or the Singing Dunes reach as s high as 800 m and create the largest accumulation of sand in the Gobi thanks to which Umnugovi won in the nomination Best of Adventure 2008Destinations by the National Geographic Adventure Magazine.
The YoliinAmor the Vulture’s Mouth established to conserve the regional birdlife became a favorite place to visit for its dramatic and unusual natural landscape shaped by a towering mountain gorge in the middle of the Gobi desert with thick ice all year-round.
The Gobi Gurvansai Khan Protected Area named after the mountain Gurvansai Khan (The Three Beauties of Gobi) was established in 1993 and stretches for 27,000square kilometers making it the largest national park in the country. The protected area safeguards the Mongolian portion of a largely undisturbed part of the vast Gobi desert and provides a last refuge for representatives of the ancient terrestrial fauna of Central Asia with over 620 species of flowering plants and 38endemic species. 52 species of mammals are found here inclusive of eight species listed in the Mongolian Red Book as endangered. Over 240 bird species occur in the area, including 34resident species, 99breeding species, and 70 migrants. The park is abundant with wildlife such as snow leopard, Ibex, Argali, wild assess, gazelles, different species of vultures, gophers, northern pikas, various lizards, lynx, and Mazalai, the Gobi bear.
The “Ten thousand camel” racing festival organized annually during the Tsagaan Sar by residents of Mandal- Ovoo settlement also known as the Sharkhulsan with high quality camel herds reaching 14,000 is quite an attraction. The camels race across the Gobi for 18km.
Often overlooked by visitors to Mongolia Bayankhongor Aimag lies at the intersection of mountainous steppe region and the Gobi desert. With an average elevation of 1,859meters above sea level, rocky peaks loom over changing landscapes that are ideal for archaeological explorations, bird watching, wildlife viewing, hiking and mountain climbing. Of its many peaks, canyons, and valleys, one of the province’s most revered sites is the 3,957 meter-high Ikh Bogd Mountain, the highest in the Gobi Altai range.
Other notable attractions include Bichigt Khad, a world class petro glyphic site, whose rock paintings date back to the Bronze age. The nearby Tsagaan Aguior White Cave is believed to be the place of the earliest human inhabitance in Mongolia, with evidence of human presence dating as far back as 700,000 years ago. Archeological richness is also evidenced by the petrified forests and fossils found throughout the aimag. Equally enticing are the estimated 300 hot and cold mineral springs of Shargaljuut offering visitors the unique opportunity to bathe in Gobi oases, while nearby bath houses and ger camps provide the necessary amenities.
Southern Region Tours
