A view from Mongolia

Flying into any place for the first time, you’re usually treated to a bird’s eye view of an urban landscape, the imprint of humanity more obvious from above. But the day we flew into Chinggis Khaan airport, which sits outside the city of Ulaanbaatar, all that was visible for miles and miles was the vast rolling green hills of the Mongolian steppe. Mongolia certainly lives up to its name of being the least densely populated country in the world.

The Mongolian government has declared 2023 to 2025 the years to travel to Mongolia and to encourage more tourism, has added 34 countries to the current 27 who do not need a visa to visit. New Zealanders fit into the visa-free category and can travel in Mongolia up to 30 days.

Monks outside the Gandantegchinlen monastery in Ulaanbaatar. Image: Kayt Bronnimann

We visited in June, for an eight-day tour through the Gobi desert and central steppe, before the crowds of July arrived for the national Naadam festival. It was a trip that would take us almost 2000km around the centre of the country, on mostly unsealed roads through untouched wilderness.

The capital Ulaanbaatar, with its notoriously bad traffic, held no hint of empty landscapes. The city holds the memory of its time as a Soviet satellite state, still using the Cyrillic alphabet, unlike Inner Mongolia, which has maintained the traditional Mongolian script. The architecture is distinctly socialist with imposing, square buildings circling the central Sukhbaatar Square. This is a popular spot with the locals, who posed in colourful deels, the traditional nomadic robe, in front of a giant statue of Chinggis Khaan guarding the entrance to the parliament building.

Chinggis remains a popular hero. A recently built museum holds his name and chronicles the rich history of the country, that extends well before and beyond the heyday of the Khans. Further afield on a hill overlooking the steppe is a 40 metre tall iron statue of Chinggis Khaan atop his horse, the largest equestrian statue in the world. His face is fierce, though he looks out onto a statue of his mother and towards the direction of his home.

The Chinggis Khaan statue outside of the city. Image: Kayt Bronnimann

The history of Mongolia’s Khans may be the one people are most familiar with but the region’s history is far older than that. One of our first stops is Baga Gazariin Chuluu, an ancient dried up sea bed with copper coloured rock formations stacked up like old coins. Within the area are tombs, burial mounds and rock drawings dating back to the bronze age. Further south is Bayanzag or ‘the flaming cliffs’ where many dinosaur fossils have been found, including the first fossils of dinosaur eggs discovered in the world.

The majority of tourists to the country come from China, Japan and South Korea. As part of its efforts to attract more visitors the government has also created a “One sheep, one tourist” programme. This initiative pairs a tourist with a sheep-they can either contribute to the animal’s care through fostering it with a local family, or, slaughter the animal to be eaten. Earlier in 2024, the Mongolian government invited 15 social media influencers from South Korea to come to Mongolia to promote the programme and the country’s many natural wonders.

The Baga Gazan Chuluu. Image: Kayt Bronnimann

Despite being a desert, the Gobi environment is incredibly diverse, featuring mountains, valleys, an ice field that remains frozen even in summer, and grassy riverbanks at the base of towering sand dunes. As we traversed large swathes of the desert, we were treated to an ever-changing array of other worldly landscapes. The horizon stretched uninterrupted in all directions, with few signs of habitation other than the occasional ger or dilapidated animal pen. The herds of sheep, goats, cows, camels and yaks we came across in our travels far outnumbered the people. We slept in gers lined with sheep’s wool that kept us cool from the midday heat and warm at night. Sometimes we had electricity and flushing toilets, other days it was a little more rustic. One third of the Mongolian population remains nomadic, following their animals through the changing seasons. Usually just one family will live at a camp, along with their herd. The nearest town is often hundreds of kilometres away.

The Gobi Desert. Image: Kayt Bronnimann

Despite a lack of GPS or road signs our driver instinctively knew where to go. “My Google maps is up here”, he joked, pointing to his head. It’s the kind of knowledge that only comes from years of experience visiting all the remote corners of the country, in all kinds of weather.

Over half Mongolia’s population is Buddhist, but the religion was suppressed for a time. From the 1930s onwards, many monks were killed and monasteries destroyed. We see evidence of this when we visit the ruins of the Ongi Monastery one stormy afternoon. This sprawling complex once housed up to 1000 monks and held four Buddhist universities. In 1939, under the orders of the Communist Party leadership, the temples were destroyed, over 200 monks were killed, with others being forcibly conscripted into the army. Today, little remains other than crumbling brick foundations scattered amongst the rocks, and a small museum with salvaged some artefacts.

The ruins of the Ongi Monastery. Image: Kayt Bronnimann

Though the emptiness of the desert and steppe can make you feel like you have left the world behind, signs of human impact are visible. Driving past deserted camps, the ground was sometimes littered with plastic rubbish. Climate change has also exacerbated desertification, and recent harsh winters have had a devastating impact on livestock numbers. Ulaanbaatar itself holds the notorious title of the world’s most polluted capital city. Many ger areas in the city still burn raw coal and the mountains that surround the city trap the dirty air. There have been recent efforts by the government to try and reduce air pollution as well as initiatives to combat desertification such, as the "One Billion Trees" programme. Since it was launched two years ago, 42 million trees have been planted in an effort to reduce deforestation, desertification and food insecurity. Hopefully measures like these will help to preserve Mongolia’s unique ecosystem and landscape and encourage more people to visit over the coming years.

- Asia Media Centre