Ramada Hotel in Ulaanbaatar, I decided to go on a city tour to get a firsthand look at the city. As is customary for me, I hired a tour and travel operator and negotiated a travel plan. My guide around the city was a young Mongolian named Ogi.
The Gandan Monastery was built in 1809 and has been the seat of Buddhist philosophy and culture in Mongolia. It was shut down from 1944 to 1989 due to persecution during this period. Many monks were killed, and there was an attempt to destroy the Buddhist faith.
Buddhism is the largest religion in Mongolia, practiced by 51.7% of the population. The Gandan Monastery has more than 100 resident monks and many Buddhist treasures, including a 25-meter statue of Avalokitesvara made of golden bronze and precious stones. After being closed down in 1939 during the persecution, it came under direct Soviet command and was used as an ammunition dump. The great statue of Avalokitesvara was taken by the Soviet army and shipped to Moscow, where it was melted down. In 1990, the monastery was renovated, and over two hundred monks began praying there. The Avalokitesvara statue was then rebuilt with a mix of government and private funds.
After seeing the magnificent monastery, I moved out to feed some pigeons. There are hundreds of them loitering around the monastery, and I decided to buy some grains and feed them for a while. Our next stop was Sukhbaatar Square, the central square of Ulaanbaatar and the seat of the main government building. The square was named after Damdin Sukhbaatar, a Mongolian revolutionary, after his death in 1923. The square also houses the national theatre.
In the afternoon, I sipped hot milk tea of Mongolia for the first time. The tea here is white and full of milk, but instead of sugar, they put salt in their tea. I did not enjoy the taste much and, after taking a few sips, decided not to have any more.
Zaisan Memorial Hill was built to honor the Soviet and Mongolian soldiers who lost their lives in World War Two. There is a huge flight of steps that one has to climb to reach the top of the memorial, and I was exhausted by the time I got there. However, one can get a great view of the city from the top of the memorial, and it is a great spot to take some exciting pictures as it offers a panoramic view of the city.
Our last stop of the day was the Choijin Lama Temple Museum. The temple complex is made up of six temples and was active until 1937, after which it was closed down during the religious repression. The temple houses some fantastic Buddhist statues and masks, which are used in traditional Buddhist Cham dancing. The temple has many attendants guarding the ancient artifacts and murals.
