052 –Things to See, While in UB
25th Apr 2012, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Ulanbaatar is lively. At 1.2 million inhabitants, almost half of the population of Mongolia live in UB. I arrived there back in April'12 and stayed a total of 5 days in the city. Not enough time to get to know the city for sure, but plenty of time to explore the major sights. In this post I will share those places I went to.
The main drag is Peace Avenue, and this is where most independent travellers end up. I walked up and down the avenue numerous times during my stay. The State Department store can be found at one end of the road, with Sükhbaatar Square on the other end, plus the numerous restaurants and cafes in between.
1. Sukhbaatar Square
The most obvious landmark is Sükhbaatar Square, a huge open space at the western end of Peace Avenue. The square is named after a Mongolian hero who led the charge for Mongolian independence in the early 20th century. There is an impressive statue of Sükhbaatar riding a horse in the middle of the square, and here's where many keen tourists linger taking photographs.
Locals sit on benches in the square, chilling out in their deel robes and eating their shelled nuts. I wonder how they do it, oblivious to the windy cold temperatures. True, spring is on the way, but it was still -7 degrees Celsius that one afternoon! YES, in springtime!
At the perimeter of the square are huge daunting buildings with important sounding names like the Palace of Culture, the Parliament House and the State Opera & Ballet Theatre. I passed by and ignored these univiting buildings where the doorways are always closed (could be because of the cold, of course).
At the steps of the Parliament House, a statue of Chinggis Khan sits flanked by his son and grandson Ogodei and Kublai.
2. Gandan Monastery
Located at the end of a road leading off Peace Avenue, this is the most important Mongolian monastery. When the socialists took over Mongolian rule in the 1930s, all religious institutions were closed and this monastery was one of the few allowed to remain open. It was only in 1990 when Buddhism was practised openly again. The Monastery grounds has a large temple to the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, in which a 26.5m high statue of the deity can be seen. The Mongolians' name for Avalokiteshavara is Migjid Janraisig. We in Singapore know him better in his female form: Guanyin, the goddess of mercy.
On the monastery grounds are more buildings, used for rituals as well as Buddhist studies. I spent more time just people watching. The monks in their maroon robes (they are a darker shade than the saffron ones you see worn by the Theravada school of Buddhism in SE Asia) and yellow robes.
Those Mongolian women feeding pigeons. The horde of pigeons. I stayed there till the cold got to me and left. I really wonder how the locals can stand the cold.
3. Choijin Lama temple
Located south of Sukhbaatar square, it's a nondescript area at the base of that large blue futuristic hotel building that stands out about the rest. Inside though, are various temple buildings showcasing the architecture and history of the temple. Of more interest are the cultural performances that take place there: Khoomi, or Mongolian throat singing is a favourite. I was there in April, and apparently it was "still winter" so the performances have not yet started.
4. Bogd Khan's Winter Palace
The Bogd Khan was the 8th Bogdo Lama, the spiritual leader of Mongolian Tibetan Buddhism. He was named the emperor, or ruler, of Mongolia when they declared independence from China after the fall of the Qing Dynasty.
I did a bit of reading and apparently the 9th reincarnation of the Bogdo Lama was only recognised in the 1990s by the Dalai Lama. He lived in exile in Dharamsala due to the instability in Mongolia back then and his identity was not made known. He passed away earlier this year in Mar 2012, and the next incarnation (10th Bogdo or Jebtsundamba Khutuktu) would probably happen a year or so from now.
The fate of the Bogdo Lama is certainly much better than that of the Panchen Lama, who vanished when he was recognised by the Dalai Lama at 6, presumably taken by the Chinese authorities. I briefly mentioned about this in a past post
Anyway, the palace of the 8th Lama, Bogh Khan houses various artefacts. I especially love the variant of the Dragon Robe that you see the Chinese emperors wearing. Instead of the 9 dragons, it is thick winter fur that stands outs. The robe, together with Zanabazar's (he was the first Bogd Lama) robe also on display was given by the Chinese Qing emperor Kangxi. The ger or Mongolian tent covered with the furs of 150 snow leopards was also eye-catching.
5. Buddha Park
Further down from the Bogd Khan's palace are the Buddha Park and Zaisan Memorial. Both are still within walking distance of Peace Avenue, and allows for nice sight-seeing along the way.
There is a huge Buddha statue overlooking the Buddha park. Standing in the abhaya mudra gesture of fearlessness, the Buddha seems to look down serenely at everyone below. He is unusually chubby with thick full lips, but all the signs of an enlightened being are there: the ushnisha, urna, hair with curls, three rings around the neck etc.
The whole area around the park is in danger of losing its charm though. While I was there, construction was ongoing, to build both residential and commercial buildings.
5. Zaibasan Memorial.
It is located at the top of a hill from which you can get awe-inspiring views of Ulanbaatar. Steps lead up to the memorial. The locals especially the youths delight in having excursions to the top, and there was a constant stream going up and down while I was there.
The memorial itself is Russian made and the murals depict various scenes of soldiers in patriotic poses, meant to commemorate some past war.
6. Venus Cafe
Now this is interesting. I was having a cuppa in another restaurant, and got into a conversation with a Mongolian man. When he found out I was Singaporean, he said "Oh did you know that there is a restaurant ran by a Singaporean just around the corner?"
That of course piqued by interest. I thanked him and went round the back behind the buildings on Peace Avenue. There was a big sign proclaiming "the best roti prata in Ulanbaatar" at the entrance. That's right, not roti canai (Malaysians call it that) or the paratha speliing (used in India) but it's roti prata. Definitely Singaporean. Oh boy!
Inside was a proper restaurant, with snazzy dressed waiters welcoming me. I scanned the restaurant, looking for a familiar Singaporean face. None. There were a couple of waiters, and one westerner sitting at one corner, plus several other local customers. Slightly dejected, I asked for a menu. Then the lady sitting at the corner got up and said "You speak English? I recommend you some stuff, you want?"
It was not what she said, but rather the way she said it. It was in pure Singlish, that colloquial grammatically incorrect English we Singaporeans use back home. Surreal, for here we have a lady who looks nothing like a Singaporean, speaking Singlish. I stared, and asked her how come she speaks so.
Ordering my Nasi Lemak, authentically good with the fragrant coconut rice that made me grin in contentment with every mouthful, I learnt more about the owner of the café. She was formally from the Ukraine, and married a Singaporean. They moved to Singapore, where she learnt her English (hence the accent) where her kids grew up. They then moved to Mongolia, where her husband runs a business and they set up this café. Again, surreal. Oh, and her chef is a Malaysian of Indian descent serving authentic rotis and rendangs!
It's a pretty good restaurant too, as seen by the Tripadvisor reviews. A little bit of promotion for them, but one definitely deserved.
Besides these attractions, there are a bunch of museums around town worth visiting. I made a beeline for the National Museum where the section on the Mongol Khans kept me occupied for a while.
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