We Tour Ulaanbaatar

 Saturday, July 13, 2024

Touring Ulaanbaatar

 Today was our last city day, and we saw the highlights.  We began at the Gandantegchinlen Monastery, commonly called the Gandan Monastery.  Buddhism in Mongolia began with the Yuan dynasty (1271–1368) emperors' conversion to Tibetan Buddhism. The Mongols returned to shamanic traditions after the collapse of the Mongol Empire, but Buddhism reemerged in the 16th and 17th centuries.  This monastery was founded in 1809 as a center for Tibetan Buddhism, but its story is hard to hear.  Under Stalinist repression from 1937 to 1942, all monasteries in Mongolia were closed except this one, and more than 10,000 monks were killed.  Negotiations after the death of Stalin allowed the reopening of monasteries, but only for the monks, and it was only in 1990, after the fall of the Soviet Union and complete Mongolian independence, that they opened to everyone.  The complex has many temples; the largest opened just four years ago.  Note the photo of the Dalai Lama:


In one building is an enormous statue of Avalokiteśvara (meaning "God looking upon men with pity”)  He is a tenth-level bodhisattva associated with great compassion (mahakaruṇā).  (Wikipedia): 


Here are Leah and me for scale:

 

In another temple there was a ceremony which we didn’t understand, but may have been part of a funeral:

 

After visiting the monastery we went to the Natural History Museum, a very well-done collection of flora, fauna and geologic samples.  There is an entire section devoted to dinosaurs, as many were found in Mongolia.  Perhaps the most spectacular is a Tarbosaurus Bataar which looks to me like a T. Rex, but is not—it is a distinctly separate species.  This specimen was returned to Mongolia after a complicated court case in the US.  You can read all about it here:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_v._One_Tyrannosaurus_Bataar_Skeleton

 

We had lunch and then went to the Down Syndrome Association of Mongolia building for dessert and coffee.  The Association is supported by G Adventures, and serves about 500 families who have a Down Syndrome member.  It was founded by a group of mothers a number of years ago.  We were waited on by a mother and son duo, the mother made the coffees and he served: 

Our server was very pleased to be in a group photo with us: 


Our final stop of the day was at the Green Palace and the adjacent Winter Palace.  The Green Palace was the residence of Bogd Khan, the “last king” ruler of Mongolia, and was built in 1893. 

The doors are spectacular: 


And just inside is an anteroom with these guards:

 



 No further photos were allowed.  The collection, especially in the winter palace, was stunning, especially the robes worn by the Khans.  There was a lot of gold!

 Tomorrow we leave for the countryside.  Our group of 12 and a guide will have five Lexus SUVs with drivers, we were told, so everyone gets a window as we go where there are no paved roads, and no hotels.  Our next ten nights will be in gers, and only some of them will have Wi-Fi, although we were told it is very, very slow when it does exist.   This may be my last post for quite a while; we’ll see.

 Love to all,

 Victor

Comments

  1. Ralph LockeJuly 13, 2024 at 11:53 AM

    Truly amazing decorated doors! The history that you share with us is fascinating. Interesting about repatriating a dinosaur skeleton. I'm more accustomed to art works being returned (or being asked to be return, like the Elgin Marbles) or human remains being demanded. I don't know what "gers" as (in your last paragraph). Another spelling for yurts? If you feel like taking notes and then reporting to us when you're back online, anything you say will be welcome! More hot days here, like before you left. How hot is it there?

    ReplyDelete

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