Ulaanbaatar or Ulan Bator literally "Red Hero” is the capital and the largest city of Mongolia. An independent municipality, the city is not part of any province, and its population in 2014 was over 1.3 million.
Located in north central Mongolia, the city lies at an elevation of about 1,310 metres in a valley on the Tuul River. It is the centre of Mongolia's road network, and is connected by rail to both the Trans-Siberian Railway in Russia and the Chinese railway system.
The city was founded in 1639 as a nomadic Buddhist centre. In 1778, it settled permanently at its present location, the junction of the Tuul and Selbe rivers. Before that, it changed location twenty-eight times, with each location being chosen ceremonially. Ulaanbaatar is the coldest national capital in the world. The coldest January temperatures, usually at the time just before sunrise, are between −36 and −40 °C with no wind, due to temperature inversion.
Air pollution is a serious problem in Ulaanbaatar, especially in winter. Sources of the pollution are mainly the simple stoves used for heating and cooking in the city's gers quarters, but also the local coal fired power stations. Being situated on a valley with restricted air circulation will compound the pollution problem.
Arriving in Ulaanbaatar for the first time a person is presented with a collection of old soviet style buildings, grey in colour, modern skyscrapers and lots and lots of gers. The roads are wide but at peak time the transit is chaotic. The skyline is full of cranes indicating a boom in the construction business.
Referring to the Mongolia history the westernisation of the country is a recent thing starting already in the XXI century. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Mongolia was left to its own devices and for several years it tried to make the soviet model work. Only around 2000 Mongolia started adopting the western society models for the economy and government. In 2009 the Oyu Tolgoi investment agreement was signed and the first phase of the Mongolian mining boom started. From 2009 to 2012 Ulan Bator's position rapidly rose in the investment world.
We stayed overnight in the Blue Sky hotel in Ulaanbaatar on my way to the mine and returning to Brisbane. The Blue Sky is a five star hotel in the Chinghis Square with great views over the city from its rooftop restaurant.
Mongolia National Drama Academic Theater
Typical Mongol costumes
Mongolia National Library
