Mongolia Travel Guide
Mongolia is mainly of interest to the visitor for the rough scenery and wildlife. Horse treks through the country with camping in the traditional tents are a perfect way of discovering the traditional Mongol way of life. Mongolia has a unique and durable traditional culture, centered around the herding lifestyle. Herders remain semi-nomadic, moving their animals with the seasons as they have for centuries. Half of Mongolia's population is rural, and herding remains the backbone of the Mongolian economy.
Despite the popular image of Mongolians as nomadic herders, it is an increasingly urbanized country. More than one quarter of Mongolians live in the capital city, Ulaanbaatar. The other major urban centers are Darkhan and Erdenet. In these cities, especially Ulaanbaatar there are still a number of Buddhist sites. Before turning communist this country was profoundly Buddhist.
Traditionally, Buddhist monasteries were centers both of learning and of power in Mongolia. In the 1930s, this power became the focus of a ruthless series of purges that reached a climax in 1937. Most of the country's monasteries were destroyed, and as many as 17,000 monks were killed. Today there just a few old monasteries you can visit and they have very beautiful artifacts, but Mongolia is once again embracing its Buddhist heritage. Monasteries are being restored and are once again crowded with worshippers. The Dalai Lama is an enormously popular figure and has visited the country several times.
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