| Gobi Desert | |
 | |
Location  | |
| State | Mongolia |
|---|---|
Gobi Desert is a vast desert region extending across the Mongolia southern and beyond its border with the China.
To know
The Mongolian word gobi means "place without water".
When to go
Unlike the other regions of the Mongolia, the summer in the Gobi desert is longer and even the first fortnight of October could be good for a trip. However, we must consider the strong temperature variations: on summer days the temperatures can also be pleasant but after sunset they drop suddenly and a lot.
Spring (April-May) is not recommended due to the strong winds that raise sandstorms but these can occur at any time of the year.
Winter is a prohibitive time. From November to March and beyond, the desert appears cloaked in snow and its ground frozen to deep layers. Temperatures remain consistently several degrees below 0, even in broad daylight.
Territories and tourist destinations
Gobi Desert: full screen map.- Dornogov Province (Дорноговь аймаг) - Eastern Gobi
- Dundgov Province ' (Дундговь аймаг, Middle Gobi) -
- Gov'-Altai Province (Говь-Алтай Аймаг) -
- Province of Ômnôgov ' (Өмнөговь аймаг) - The province of Ömnögov (southern Gobi) is the largest in the Mongolia (165,380) but its population is only 65,645 inhabitants with a density of 0.40 per km2.
- Ôvôrhangaj province (Өвөрхангай аймаг) -
- Bajanhongor Province (Баянхонгор аймаг) -
Urban centers
- 1 Altai - The capital of the province of Gov’-Altaj, is a town of about 20,000 inhabitants, located at an altitude of 2,200 meters and entirely surrounded by mountains whose peaks exceed 3,000 meters.
- 2 Bayanhongor - Capital of the province of the same name, Bayanhongor presents a series of interesting excursions, from traditional villages to Buddhist monasteries and from the Galuut canyon to the thermal springs of Shargaljuut, among mountains that reach 3,500 m.
- 3 Dalanzadgad - Capital of the Ômnôgovv province, Dalanzadgad is a prosperous mining center in the middle of the desert. It forms the basis for excursions to the "singing dunes" (Hongoryn èls) and for more challenging expeditions in the footsteps of pioneer Roy Chapman Andrews who first discovered dinosaur egg fossils.
- 4 Mandalgov ' - Capital of the Dundgov (Middle Gobi), Mandalgov 'is a town of about 12,000 inhabitants founded in 1942 whose interest is constituted by excursions in the surrounding area.
- 5 Sajnšand - Capital of the Dornogov ' (Eastern Gobi), Sajnšand lies on the transmongolian railway and therefore constitutes the first stop for those travelers who love this means of transport despite its slowness (10 hours from Ulan Bator if everything goes straight]]).
- 6 Zamiin-Uud - Nothing more than a road and rail border crossing on the border Yes No-Mongolian. Passengers on trains traveling on the Trans-Mongolian Railway are forced to long waits and a change of train as the gauge of the railways of China is Mongolia it is not identical.
Other destinations
- 1 Galuut Canyon
- 2 Hongoryn èls (Хонгорын элс) - "The singing dunes" are the most visited attraction in the Gobi. The dunes extend over an area of 965 km² and vary in height from 80 to 300 m. They constantly change shape due to the winds and also their color changes according to the hours of the day.
- 3 Gobi Gurvan Saikhan National Park - A very extensive national park appreciated for its surreal landscapes. The name Gurvan Saikhan translates as "Three Beauties" and refers to a chain of mountains characterized by a reddish color at whose slopes the pioneer Roy Chapman Andrews found the first dinosaur eggs in 1922 (site of Algui Ulaan Tsav).
- 4 Yolyn Am - A long and narrow gorge with a glacier that used to last all year but now melts at the end of August.
How to get
By plane
Airports are present in the three capitals of Altai, Bayanhongor is Sajnšand. As of 2020, domestic flights (from Ulaanbaatar) were operated by the two flag carriers (Aero Mongolia is MIAT Mongolian Airlines) and by airlines Hunnu Air.
On the train
The Trans-Mongolian Railway from Ulan-Udė to Beijing crosses the east of the Gobi. All trains stop at the station Sajnšand.
How to get around
What see
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- 1 Hamar Monastery (Хамарын хийд) (Eastern Gobi, about fifty kilometers from the capital Sajnšand). Monastery founded in 1820 by Danzanravjaa, a 17-year-old Buddhist monk and a charismatic member of the Red Berets sect. Danzanravjaa chose the site of the monastery believing that the surrounding area was radiated by a spiritual energy fueled by the Gobi desert. To the north of the monastery there are a series of caves where the monks still retire to practice meditation for 108 consecutive days (in Tibetan Buddhism 108 is considered a sacred number).
- Often referred to as "the Terrible Holy Noble of the Gobi", Danzanravjaa was an educator, poet and harsh critic of Mongolian society of his time. He supported the idea of public education and respect for women. In his intentions, the Hamar monastery was to serve as a model for a more enlightened society. The monastery was equipped with a public library, a museum and a room for the declamation of poems. In 1830 a school was added where lessons in secular sciences (literature, mathematics, natural sciences, Mongolian and Tibetan history) were given.
- In 1937 the lamas of the monastery were driven from the grounds and the complex was completely destroyed as part of the Stalinist purges ordered by Horloogijn Čojbalsan. Many of the lamas were executed. In 1990 the reconstruction of the monastery was started.
- Monasteries of Ongi (Онгийн хийд, Ongiin Khiid). Ruins of a couple of monasteries on the banks of the Ongi River.
What to do
At the table
Safety
Other projects
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