Mongolia Vacation Travel Video Guide

[Music] Mongolia a land between Sky steps and deserts extreme exotic and mostly undiscovered home to Nomads ringers Eagle hunters and Horsemen a land of [Music] Adventure a world of both faith and legend that is slowly Awakening and beginning to remove its secret [Music] Veil anulan bat capital of Mongolia SU Karin talai is situated in the center of the city a large square that is flanked by government buildings an opera house and various commercial Enterprises this Metropolis set amid the steps is the pulsating heart of the country it combines the cultures of old with a lively feeling of moving towards New [Music] Horizons this once so socialist Metropolis changes from day to day as does the lifestyle of its inhabitants from the Parliament building Genghis Khan watches over his people who are now adapting themselves to modern times the national museum contains mongolia's history in 1779 the country's religious leader settled here the spiritual center of Mongolia once lay directly on the peaking katk trading route at that time the city was called U and life was determined by the Region's monasteries and llamas the bod Khan museum is situated close to the river TL seven temples and a singl story timberbuilt building of Russian design The Winter Palace was built for the Bogan in 1912 the year when Mongolia gained its indep attendant from China then the Bal gagin the most revered person in Mongolia became transformed into the bod Khan who was then both the country's spiritual and worldly leader the throne Hall as well as the other rooms feature the palace's original furniture and also several gifts from numerous monarchs from here the country was ruled with Russian assistance until the de decaration of the People's Republic zandar Museum contains a number of works of the enlightened one at the age of five he became head of the Mongolian Buddhists and in Tibet he was a student of both the pansin Lama and the Dalai Lama finally he became the first bod gagin Buddhist dignitaries who were head of their country for 300 years under Zan bazaar's leadership mongolia's first monasteries were built although the largest was constructed in 1838 the gandan [Music] hid the architecture of the temple complex indicates the Tibetan roots of Mongolian Buddhism both young and old llamas wear colorful [Applause] clothes gandan he is a pilgrimage destination for the faithful from all over Mongolia they pray and wind prayer Mills and crowd into the main sanctuary in the monastery's main Temple is a 26 M High statue the Buddha of Mercy patron saint of Mongolia it weighs 20 tons and is decorated with gold and gems a classical building contains the Natural History Museum particularly wellknown are a number of exhibits that date back to primeval times dinosaur skeletons and petrified eggs from the GOI [Music] desert today the outlying districts of anulan bat are are inhabited by rural people who live in circular tents these G districts have no water supply proper drainage systems or electricity indeed the Mongolian Nomad has no need of these Services here freedom is the most prized possession this the only true City in Mongolia is expanding rapidly each day more young families settle here this modern city is currently experiencing a building boom structures of steel concrete and glass have emerged here since 1990 each plot of land is in use and there's increasing traffic new restaurants internet cafes and shops open from week to week rapid growth seems Unstoppable and uland is becoming UB Construction ction work is everywhere the face of the city is constantly changing the young are beginning to follow Western fashion trends and [Applause] culture commercial life is growing from strength to strength and those with money can shop till they drop there are also highly visible contrasts Modern Skyscrapers next to gear shops on wheels in the center of anulan Batar the monastery Museum of shin lamin hiid opens its doors for courageous visitors this Splendid building was constructed in 194 the unique Monastery complex was built for the younger brother of mongolia's last [Music] Monarch chian was a member of the tantric School a Budd Buddhist Doctrine he was highly influential due to his magical powers here ceremonies were practiced from which the normal faithful were banned the river landscape outside the city Gates is in strong contrast to the bad air and hubub of the nearby Metropolis prayer banners and colorful cloth in the trees indicate a holy place here people collect health-giving berries from Wild [Music] bushes evocations take place in various ceremonial locations the shaman gets in contact with the spirits of the faithful trance dance and drum beats help him to release his soul from his body music dance and song have always been the main features of Mongolian culture and since 2002 this show theater has presented the [Music] Moonstone more than 90 Young Artists per in this Splendid review with breathtaking traditional music and [Music] [Music] dance the Mongolian long song religious songs traditional instrumentation the unique horsee headed fiddle and throat chanting it has the lot the choreography of the Mongolian Soul features wild temperament deep passion and boundless [Music] enthusiasm this has been an amazing visit to an exotic and little known world and this capital city with all its incredible contrasts seems almost unreal but Ulan Batar is very much here now and heading for the [Music] future almost 50 km east of anulan Batar is a Leisure area for the inhabitants of the city the Terk national [Music] park riding cross country and Without Limits amid Splendid and protected nature Mongolians can do what Mongolians do best huge rocks with strange names and Splendid River Meadows welcome those who come to one of the many jir [Music] camps here relaxation is the order of the day with climbing hiking riding and even open air Billiards [Music] everywhere sheep and goats pasture peacefully and remain unfazed by tourist buses and cars and enjoy running across the [Music] Meadows on the slopes at the end of the valley is a small Buddhist monastery set in picturesque surroundings the journey to the top is well worth it the monastery was built for the wedding of a grandson of tushit Khan to the sixth princess of King Emperor [Music] kangi it lies in a Scenic location with a wonderful view across the [Music] valley on the Eastern edge of of anulan Batar within the spacious Plains of the river Tu there is a special tourist attraction the extravagant Hotel [Music] Mongolia this huge Hotel complex resembles an old Buddhist monestry complex with a G section and a central Temple [Music] restaurant for those who come here it's like being in another [Music] world beyond the huge walls of the Temple City is a large circular tent on a movable pedestal the leaders of the Mongolian tribes once traveled in such [Music] tents the nadam is performed and explained to tourist who have traveled here from around the world nadam is the most important Festival in Mongolia the roots of this competition date back to the time of the ancient Turks and hun gangas Khan developed contests for his Warriors from its Traditions horse racing archery and wrestling the reenacted nadam festival is opened with spirited [Music] dancing virtuoso throat singers and horse-headed Fiddlers set the contestants in the right mood and a typical snake woman performs amazing acrobatic contortions finally wrestlers make ritual circles around their seconds the game is on they begin to wrestle weight categories are unknown here anyone can fight anyone the one to land on the ground first with any other part of the body but their hands and feet is the loser the winner presents himself proudly to the admiring crowd after horse racing and archery masked dancers complete the festival led by the old white man who symbolizes happiness and a long [Music] life and the hhe headed fiddle accompanies the dancers who wear animal head masks a fine finale for a festival that reflects the gritty character of the country wild demanding and [Music] tough to the south of the city there's another fine Leisure area the bod Nature Reserve is located at the end of a blossom covered [Music] Valley hiking paths are ideal for a stroll and and mysterious columns indicate those whose final resting place is here and everywhere flowers and green [Music] vegetation on the mountain slope at the end of the valley are the ruins of the manuia hid Monastery that was founded in 1733 an historic Place traces of the Turkish hordes were discovered here and it's also believed that genas Khan once had his headquarters within this sheltered Valley Galan leader of the West Mongolians is said to have lost a battle against the Chinese emperor Kang XI here a turning point in Mongolian history today only paintings a Buddha and an image of The Dalai Lama indicate religious Faith around 100 kilm Southwest of Anan Batar is the hin national park the only surviving primeval horse breed in the world has found a new home in this harsh region the tahis or pavi [Music] horse Nikolai balski discovered the last remaining horses of this breed that had been hunted nearly to Extinction they were bred successfully in zoos so in 1990 they were removed from their natural habitat in the [Music] wild this remote mountain landscape also hides numerous Stone monuments and tombs of the Turks who once came to this [Music] region there are also Stags wolves and [Music] mamuts in a southerly direction our journey leads through endless steps made up roads a few and far between the mountain region of Kono that is one of the Bulan imag districts contains the most remarkable scenery well sheltered at the foot of the mountains is a small Temple that also provides information several small sters extend across the slope and indicate a holy place where once religious life took place the Broken Walls of the monastery ruins are a reminder of the hostilities that once took place between the army of zunga Galan biku and the monks of Zan Bazar in the 17th century the monastery was destroyed and all of its monks killed [Music] this mystical landscape was well chosen by the monks a tranquil and remote place ideal for meditation Mongolia with its extensive steps mountains and desert areas has always been a land of the nomad a race of herdsmen and Horsemen proud of their [Music] traditions this untouched and spacious natural landscape with its grazing animals is a wonderful [Music] sight high in the sky circles a bird of prey in search of a tasty dinner while visitors to the step are taken to a camp in which they can relax after an exciting [Music] day gar camps have been constructed specially for tourists there are no buildings here only circular tents that are surrounded by a [Music] fence Gs are mobile tents that are also used by the nomads they are erected in the spring and taken down in the [Music] Autumn instead of a metal lock the wooden doors are closed by rope sheep's wool hangs above a wooden framework and in the middle is a small oven with an outlet at the top of the tent when the weather's stormy the roof of the tent is fixed with rope and as soon as the fire has been lit it soon becomes warm in the gear a Mongolian Treat night is about to begin early in the morning the journey continues past large herds and within something that is becoming increasingly rare in most countries space and lots of it our journey continues in a southerly Direction across the steps no roads here with Nomads storms and whirlwinds for company Mongolians must stop at each U and walk around the pile of stones three times thereby restoring inner [Music] peace in kakarin former residents of those who once ruled Mongolia today there is little left to see however a few mysterious sites remain which along with theu Monastery are highly evocative of this ancient city in central Mongolia for 32 years this was the center of one of the most powerful Empires on Earth everything was controlled from here of their former glory almost nothing has survived only the erino monastery which after the breakup of the Soviet Union became active once again by command of the KH Prince abtak Khan in 1586 a monastery was built among the ruins of mongolia's capital city [Music] Adu was the first large Monastery in what is today's Mongolia and was for some centuries an important center of [Music] Buddhism up until 1938 over 60 individual buildings that housed 1500 devout llamas stood on these Monastery grounds [Music] the walls and towers of the monastery made it a veritable Fortress however in the 17th century its defenses were put to the test conversion of the kalka Mongolians to the yellow belief of the Tibetans brought about much serious [Music] unrest in the course of armed conflict with the occupying forces of Manchuria the complex was badly damaged but later rebuilt a gentle breath of Mystique and Melancholy blows over the surviving ruins of this former Cosmopolitan City in which even at that time and as decreed by law Multicultural tolerance predominated close by huge artificial stone formations appear from nowhere K bugas the black [Music] ruins here banks of the once 12 M High surrounding walls which consisted of unburned mud bricks in the 8th Century this was the center of the ugin realm long before the kitan or genis Khan settled [Music] here [Music] close to Karin are the tomb Columns of hosho sedam sacred places of the Turks who were once [Music] here Lord kulin is worshiped here and the oron runes on the columns indicate the first Mongolian [Music] scripture we visit another camp this one is on a hill slope with a view across the korine Plains Food is being [Music] prepared the staple diet of the Mongolians is meat there's always plenty to go around as each Nomad family possesses [Music] livestock there are hardly any vegetables apart from potatoes Mongolian Cuisine is dominated by [Music] Meat the daily life of the nomads is exhausting there's much work to do and everyone must join in including both young and old [Music] alike the duties are distributed in fine detail milking is the lifetime work of the women performed in an open [Music] space the men tend to their large herds of goats sheep cattle and Yaks they drive them to the pastures on [Music] Horseback the robust Yaks are the most famous animals in Mongolia and are used as important beasts of Burden plus they provide both milk and [Music] meat of course there's also a chef the head of the family surveys controls and disposes always accompanied by his [Music] dog the horse is the Mongolian's most prized possession riding is in their [Music] blood on our travels further south we stop at the shanked Monastery today a place of silence and [Music] isolation once known as Baron kuri or the Western Monastery it's believed that this Monastery was also founded by Zan [Music] Bazar in 1921 it comprised 20 bill buildings that accommodated around 1500 monks a fact difficult to believe [Music] [Applause] today as in the rest of Mongolia in 1937 this Monastery was closed most of the temples burned down and many of the monks taken to Siberia today the monastery is active once again and Young monks greet the day with a time-honored ritual and walk to the main Temple for prayer the temple that dates back to the 18th century and has survived together with a number of storehouses that were restored in [Music] 1990 Faith was stronger than political Doctrine religion won the [Music] day the oron river valley is one of the most important cultural landscapes in Mongolia the river sparkles in the sunlight as it winds its way across the Green Landscape that owes its fertility to the Meandering water it's a place of great historical significance oror Valley is situated amid the changai mountains birthplace of the Mongolian nation and the capital city of kakarin was located [Music] here the most recent discoveries of prehistoric remains are helping to reveal the history of this extraordinary natural landscape ancient markings is in the Steep and almost inaccessible rock walls of a river have been discovered here by [Music] Nomads the oron is a river of Legend on the upper section of the river many important historic events have taken [Music] place the gentle flowing water has always followed the turbulent history of this region and it was the river that was the reason why people settled [Music] here the river valley often changes in [Music] appearance close to the valley entrance the young River tumbles down into a pool below the importance of the oron valley in the history of middle Asia is beyond question a colorful historical archaeological and cultural [Music] Legacy in the north of the oron valley on a remote Hilltop of the kangai Nuru National Park is an old and famous monastery to kid in 1653 the remarkable religious and political deity undu gagin Zan Bazar came [Music] here the monastery that was built here has always been a place of tranquility and prayer as in all Buddhist monasteries Daybreak is greeted ceremoniously here young monks blow into shells and turn towards all four points of the the compass the monks enter the assembly hall for their daily prayers a century old [Music] [Music] ritual various small temples were built each with its own function such as the sein temple that was a summer res resence for senior religious [Music] guests and the Lain Temple that was built in the 18th century at the command of Lucan guar head of the adino [Music] monastery the complex Nestles on a a narrow mountain Plateau the landscape around the monastery is well shiled and a cave above the monastery is believed to be the place where Zan Bazar came to [Music] meditate the monks who live in this rocky area must be fit it's a steep climb to the rocky Summit beyond the monastery they come to worship local deities and spirits [Music] we reach the middle GOI the step changes to Desert within this undulating landscape are the ruins of Onan [Music] hid two monasteries were United here B hi and kid many artifacts highlighted bygone [Music] times since the political transformation of the country Buddhism has returned and the first temples have been rebuilt by Young [Music] monks although this location with its Sandy ground and crumbling walls resembles an ancient excavation site Faith still lives on and has found a new home [Music] here Bayan is typical of the GOI desert here life is possible the water holes never dry out [Music] completely yet the GOI is not what one may think of as a normal desert and is better described as a semi desert or to be more precise a desert Savannah the bayanzag features the sahul a bush that is resistant to Salt very useful for the stabilization of the soil and as protection against the [Music] wind the climate of the goby desert is Extreme in daytime the temperature can be scorching hot and at night very [Music] cold but both animals and plant life have adapted to the climate cold dry Winters are particularly challenging and the herds must be well [Music] protected in the middle of the GOI desert is a unique and spectacular natural landscape gal Shalo here a hint of the geological evolution of our planet is visible a remarkable region of prehistoric [Music] Dimensions 60 million years ago dinosaurs inhabited the GOI desert for hundreds of years scientists have been on the trail of the dinosaur thus excavations have been made around the world that have led to the discovery of many fossil ized Remains The Flaming Cliffs of gal shalu are an evocative primeval scene a seemingly endless expanse that reveals great geological [Music] transformation it was here that most soran skeletons have been discovered along with entire nests that were either excavated from the land or found in various sandstone own [Music] Cliffs amazing impressive and full of [Music] surprises the dinosaurs were most likely killed by the increasingly cold climate following millions of years of mild weather the earth's climate dropped severely climate change took its toll a fact witnessed by The Flaming Cliffs of gal [Music] shulu the huge hungin El sandune that is situated in a Long Valley between two mountain ranges also forms part of this natural landscape but only 3% of the GOI desert contains sandunes and they are spread across the [Music] desert the GOI desert is a unique landscape of rock stone and sand this the fifth largest desert on Earth Earth extends from Southern Mongolia to Northern [Music] China here camels have become domesticated they're bred from Wild camels that have be found in small well protected [Music] herds located in front of the 120 km long Sandu the green belt looks like a fat Morana a small hongor water course nourishes both flora and [Music] FAA here the GOI desert is alive narrow as well as wide valleys with water courses are common a miracle of nature the goby desert is inhabited by Nomads and their G goats and and horse always accompany [Music] them life in this extremely Rocky landscape is very hard a Cold northwesterly Wind Blows [Music] constantly the dry ground is covered with Pebble lus and sand the Italian Marco Polo was the first European to travel through this [Music] region the female horses are milked May milk is a popular drink a gear is quickly erected wooden battern are joined together and covered with [Music] felt and now the comfortable home is ready Mongolian hospitality is well known everyone is welcome homemade cheese and the famous Ira a part of every welcoming ceremony as well as a look at the family [Music] album up to 600 times the milk is stamped before it comes arak and during the work there's lots of local [Music] gossip during each visit small gifts are exchanged and we're invited to come [Music] again the GOI desert also contains Canyons one of the most famous is the yolan am vulture [Music] Canyon the first section can be covered on Horseback but as it Narrows it's only possible to proceed on foot a small mountain river flows between the narrow breach in the rocks and huge Stones until the canyon opens up once [Music] again even in summer the sunlight cannot penetrate here and in Winter it is freezing cold ice barricades the canyon amazing ice within a desert this region is now protected due to the value placed on the splendid natural environment that is to be found here a legacy of our planet that is certainly worthy of conservation occasionally we encounter sacred piles of stone and scattered around them bones left by the local vultures the GOI desert once contained dense vegetation as evidenced here in the Rocky canyons and small streams a paradise for vultures the first flat dwellings in the flat step of the GOI desert appear Sandy streets Timber fences behind them small buildings and a pool table this is typical of life on the edge of the small capital of the omov dadat [Music] this desert town close to the Chinese border has for many years been one of the most prosperous towns of the region it's a Gateway between China and Mongolia there are several shops Banks telephone companies a main street and administrative buildings that have been built according to the typical Russian [Music] design tanad was once a trading post for Kashmir wool and also a meeting place for the nomads and several historic events have taken place [Music] here in the large Stadium wrestling matches are held and a monument of a famous wrestler indicates who are regarded as Mongolia [Music] Superstars our final destination can only be reached by plane it's the country's most northwesterly region we take a short stop to fill up with petrol then the plane follows the course of the Mongolian alai alai is the capital of the Bayan ulai IMA District the westernmost region of Mongolia bordered by Russia and [Music] China in 1940 this IMA was founded for the kazaks an ethnic minority who were descended from Turkish Mongolian tribes in the 19th century Islam became the main religion here although Shamanism and the ancestral worship are still [Music] common in contrast to the landscape around the city its few streets contain a few motor vehicles and even a traffic light it's almost Urban daily life in the city differs from rural life the buildings are bigger and more striking and there's even a Mongolian type Russia although the typical Russian building style of the official buildings is obvious the city has established its own independent way of expressing [Music] itself discos and clubs are very popular with the young and the main square is also a regular meeting [Music] place the Landscapes of the Mongolian alai are varied and quite unique Rivers across fertile pastures and Mongolian steps all framed by a majestic Mountain world the inhabitants are still Nomads and live amid the remote landscape with their animals either in small mud Huts or traditional G tents at First Sight life here appears to be somewhat humble there's no electricity and water for cooking and washing is supplied by the [Music] river in the morning The People Wash outside and at night the Alti is extremely cold the grassland is known as the birthplace of the nomads because in former times ancient Chinese Nomads lived here along with herds of wild Yak that have since become extinct due to over hunting neighbors are mostly related they often live within a visible distance of their relatives although that can be quite some [Music] distance they make their living from their herds of sheep goats cattle and [Music] horses the hospitality of the nomads is well known they share everything they have and enjoy sitting together in a warm [Applause] [Music] tent a few household implements are neatly arranged and following a meal salted milk tea is served [Music] the head of the family gets dressed for his daily labors and adjusts his equipment for a famous kazak [Music] occupation the women clean the gear and the dishes here the dishwater never sees washing up Liquid so it can be given the dogs together with the rest of their [Music] feed for centuries the kazaks have been eagle hunters even today they go hunting just like their [Music] ancestors the birds of prey with which they hunt are golden eagles that have a wingspan of more than 2 m and are often awarded prizes [Music] the spacious landscape is an ideal hunting ground for the female Eagles that weigh up to 7 kg and are able to kill young [Music] wolves they make circles in the sky study the landscape then suddenly plunge down onto their prey at a speed of more than 200 km/ hour [Music] the birds work hard at their task for which the men are thankful and the loyal Hunters are always given a tasty reward by their [Music] masters at 7 to 8 years of age before reaching sexual maturity the Eagles are released then they must hunt for themselves fascinating Landscapes and endless Plains the this land of blue skies displays all of its [Music] Splendor the magic of Mongolia can be felt by all who come here this journey across a harsh and contrasting land has been an unforgettable Adventure Beyond [Music] Compare [Music] oh

Channel: Expoza Travel

Views: 237,144

Keywords: videos, guides, Landmark, Culture, arcadiaentertainment, visit, trip, guided, Destination, tips, essentials, tour, tavel, Tourism (Interest), channel, Nature, guide, Tourism (Industry), Mongolia (Country), documentary, discovery, yt:stretch=16:9, adventure, travelguide, world, highlights, video, expoza, cityguide, vacation, Adventure, travel, holiday, Asia (Continent), Travel Channel (TV Network), Video

Id: wbd-kceg-PE

Length: 51min 35sec (3095 seconds)

Published: Wed Aug 14 2013