Downtown attractionsSukhbaatar square In the heart of Ulaanbaatar lies a wide square named after Sukhbaatar, stands at the center of and independence hero. A mounted statue of Sukhbaatar stands at the center of the square, looking toward a more imposing, although less dynamic, effigy of Chinggis Khan, which sits in an alcove of the Parliament house that marks the square's northern boundary many landmarks surround the square, including Mongolia’s Stock exchange, the Opera and Ballet House the central post office and the cultural palace. The National Museum of Mongolia A museum that boasts a sizeable collection of objects and information from human beings' first appearance in Mongolia to the present, the National History Museum gives visitors an op¬portunity to see what has changed and what has stayed the same in Mongolia. Its exhibits display how Mongolians lived, fought, worshipped and enter¬tained themselves throughout their his¬tory. The Natural History Museum If you like dinosaurs, you will want to visit The Natural History Museum. A remarkably intact tarbosaurus skel¬eton (a close cousin of Tyrannosaurus Rex) awaits visitors in the paleontological section, as -do fossilized eggs and the bones of several other specimens. Taxidermists have also pre¬served a number of Mongolian animals and birds, as well as creatures from Mongolian and even outside Asia, but some of these displays are in sorry need of upkeep. The museum is a 3 minute walk to the northwest of Sukhbaatar Square. Zanabazar Fine Arts Museum A great sculptor and artist Zanabazar was also the first theocratic ruler of Mongolia. Some of his work accounts for I he most beautiful and popular exhibits at his eponymously museum. The zanabazar Pine Arts Museum also contains a full collection of art works by other artists, principally sculptors and painters, from Mongolia's ancient era to the present. The mu¬seum houses a number of rock inscrip¬tions, graphic arts, Buddhist tankas, embroideries, and unique tsam dancing costumes. It is located near the Trade Development Bank Headquarters. Gandan Monastery Mongolia's largest and most im¬portant monastery, one of Ulaan¬baatar'8 most interesting sights, Gudan Monestaiy was built in the mid 19th century. It is the only monastery where Buddhist services continued during the socialist period. Today, visitors flock to the monastery s temples during re¬ligious services, which slarl at 10 a.m. and last until midday. The Migjid Janraisag temple functions as an important part of Gandan Monastery, as the majestic, bejeweled statue of Migjid Jam aisag, rests under its roof. The 26-meler high 20 ton statue is a copy of another that was stroyed in the 1920s by communist The statue was built using d lions from Mongolian people as sy of Buddhist revival in the mid 1990s.
Ghoijin Lama Monastery Museum The Choijin Lama Temple built from 1904-1908, is a classic example of traditional Buddhist architecture This temple was once home to Luvsan Haidav Choijin Lama, brother of the Bogd Khaan and a prominent lama The museum is famous for its collection of Buddhist artwork, original silk icons and tsam dancing masks. Bogd Khaan Palace Museum Built between 1893 and 1903, winter palace of the Bogd Khaan was the home of Mongolia's last king, Javzan Damba Hutagt VIII. This complex of temples and houses contain a number of Buddhist artworks and the private collection of Javzan Daiuba Hutagt, composed of gills given by rulers and kings from all over tin-world. The museum is situated halfway to Zaisan Hill, to the south of the city center.
Zaisan Hill This landmark affords the best views of Ulaanbaatar and its surrounding landscape. A large monument at it is crest and the murals therein commemorate Russian-Mongolian cooperation, and particularly the Mongol soldiers who fought and died in World war.
Hustain Nuruu reserve Distance: 110 kilometers from Ulaanbaatar Duration: 1.5-2 hours by road Accommodation: Hustain Nuruu Ger Camp Activities: Hiking, horse riding, hiking After a two hour drive west from Ulaanbaatar, you will arrive at Hustain Huruu Natural Reserve. In this for¬est-steppe zone, the takhi, or Przew¬alski horse—the world's last truly wild horse, named after Russian Colonel Nikolai Przewalski (the first Euro¬pean to come across the horse)—has been reintroduced. The takhi disap¬peared from the Gobi Desert in the 1960s, but a small captive population of the horses remained in European zoos. In 1995, a group of Przewalki horses were brought to Mongolia from zoos in the Netherlands and Switzerland, and the newly wild population is thriving. Hiking and horseback ridinglilt tours can be arranged in the Hustain Nuruu area, where those who want to keep close contact with the takhi can find a ger camp at the entrance of the large-wired-fence which protects the wild horses.
Tuul river The Tuul River, which forms one mil of the three-main water systems of the Hentii range flows past southern Ulaanbaatar at the foot of the zaisan Hill. Willows and poplars line river edge, where hundreds of city residents stroll during warm summer evenings. Locals and tourists can fish or raft on the river from its source in Gorkhi Terelj national Park to the point where it empties into the Orkhon River in the northern part of the country.
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