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Central Mongolia In Winter

Central Mongolia In Winter

Central Mongolia will attract everyone with winter landscape of snow mountains, volcanoes and ice lake and rivers. Hangai is well-protected, and stretches about 700km from northwest to southeast, parallels the Mongol Altai mountains (south). Thus, during winter, some parts of central Mongolia receive the heavy snowfall while other parts only get the experience of sweet chill, it’s because of intense weather with extreme variation temperatures. Whether, it is combination of the most intense biomes including forest zone- Orkhon Valley area, Elsen Tasarkahi- Semi desert, and Altai mountains (south).

The central part is the most visited area with Takhi-wild horses, ruins of ancient capital city and cultural landscape of UNESCO World Heritage.

Khustai National Park

This magnificent area is official declared a specially protected area in 1992, and its became a home to Takhi- wild horses. Takhi horses were actually extinct in the wild in the mid of 1960’s. After some successful conservation program reintroduced by a group from Netherlands in the frame of international project, the first 15 wild horses were selected for reintroduction into Mongolia in 1992. As the aims of the breeding program, Hustai National Park has re-established wild Przewalski’s horses in the natural environment. This reintroduction program has proved successful and population has increased over 300 wild horses.

Ruin of Kharakhorum city and Erdenezuu Monastery

Kharakhorum was the most important city in the history of world trade holding during the 13th century and, former residents of those who once ruled Mongolia established capital city in 1220. About 40 years, this was the center of one of the most powerful empires in the world. The city had a surrounding wall with four stone turtles which used to symbolize longevity and solidarity of the city have been left as a little to see. However, a few mysterious sites remain which along with Erdenezuu monastery established by Khalkh prince Avtaisainkhan in 1586, the monastery was build among the ruins of Mongolia’s capital city. Each side of the square complex is 420m long and the monastery wall is adorned with a total of 108 stupas. The construction of the monastery took more than 200 years and just four temples had survived following the Stalinist purges.

Orkhon Valley- National park

 Orkhon valley includes numerous archaeological remains from imperial Mongol power dating back to the sixth century C.E. In the history of central Asia, Orkhon valley served as the seat of the imperial power of the nomads and pastoral societies. Orkhon river rises from the heavily forested slope of the Hangai mountain range and flows to Selenge river with length of 1125 kilometers.  In 2004, Orkhon valley was recognized by the UNESCO World Heritage as cultural landscape due to a home for centuries to major political, trade, cultural religious activities of successive nomadic empire.

Frozen Orkhon fall was formed both result of volcanic eruptions and earthquakes about 20 Mio years ago. Mongolians named “Red flows” due to the water drops during summer over the edge with height over 20 meters.