Ulaanbaatar is Mongolia’s capital and the only metropolis. I would say the city is surrounded by the amazing landscape of wooded mountains and Tuul river which probably make the city very attractive place to visit. However, lets look at what the city offers to its visitors. I here would love to share my experience in Ulaanbaatar and what you can try as a visitor to this fast changing city. After returning from my studies in the UK, I am excited with the city’s level of development, most importantly I am attracted to its newly opened galleries, classic, pop and ethnic entertainment, coffee shops and shopping malls. So decided to share what I experienced during my weekend.
So my very first post on the blog is about Zaisan Hill and its surrounding. At Zaisan Hil, you can visit the World War-II Memorial.This is Ulaanbaatar’s affluent neighborhood. Yet up until recently, the area was a rather remote and unoccupied part of the city where the campus of University of Agriculture was located. Back in 1991, I used to live in a student dormitory of University of Agriculture with my sister. As a child, I recall the area with few wooden houses where the university lecturers lived.Red Deer used to graze in the area.
However,this is now a different story about the neighbourhood. Due to increased level of air pollution in the city, the Zaisan and the areas along the Tuul river became precious for the people who wanted to escape from the smog. Although, air pollution in Ulaanbaatar is a serious problem during winter months, it is not an issue during warmer months.
This week, I visited Buddha Mall in Zaisan. En-route, you visited one of the brand new galleries in UB- Lilium Gallery & Lounge. A small but a very cozy place to spend your time with your loved ones. The gallery displays Mongolia’s contemporary and modern art by established and emerging artists. The one I visited last time was Sosai’s exhibition. He probably was one of the first modern artists lived under communist regime in Mongolia before the 1990’s.
Currently, ‘Tree-I’ solo exhibition by Bayartsetseg Dashdondov is at display. The exhibition is gonna be open between 6 April- 6 May, 2015. I would highly recommend you to visit and experience the atmosphere yourself. I felt peace and contemplating moments there. They offer nice cafe latte and cheese cake. Tables in the gallery are handmade and you can order a very personal one too.
Following my stay in Lilium Gallery & Lounge, the Buddha Mall is just 5-10 minutes away if there is a less traffic. The Buddha Mall is a newly build residential complex where you can go shopping on the ground floor.You can find a supermarket, the Summit-outdoor shop, designer furniture from Germany. Of course, you can test its multinational cuisines at Mongolian, Korean, Chinese and Japanese restaurants. If you are nostalgic to your time in the UK, the London Pub is an a good place. You can try fish and chips and along with a pint of Mongolian lager. It might be a good place take your visitors with no hesitation. However, I am not sure about their meals. So next week (on Saturday 9 May 2015), I will check out the meals and share my experience with you. Join me if you are interested simply following our event at Facebook.
