Tsetserleg city in Mongolia.
THE REGIONS OF MONGOLIA
ARKHANGAI AIMAG.
TSETSERLEG
- Territory - 21,351 square miles (55,300 sq.km)
- Center - Tsetserleg town, located 291 miles
(468 km) from Ulaanbaatar.
- Number of somons - 19.
- Arkhangai aimag was established in 1931.
- Population - 104,300
Arkhangai has astounding scenery: wide rivers full of fish, several volcanoes and volcanic lakes, extensive
forests, and pastures where yak thrive. It also boasts the stunning lake Terkhiin Tsagaan
Nuur, the ruins of several ancient kingdoms and probably the nicest aimag capital in the country. The ethnic groups are the Khaikh and the
Oold.
Arkhangai aimag is situated in the central part of the Khangai mountain range and its territory
comprises mountains, steppe and plains. The average altitude of the aimag is 7,920 feet (2,414
m) above sea level. The highest point is Kharalagtai peak clad in eternal snow at 11,611 feet (3,539
m) above sea level, while the lowest point is the area of the confluence of the Orkhon and the Tamir rivers at 4,232 feet (1,290
m) above sea level. Soil is mainly scattered grey and black soil of mountain
meadows and forests. Over 70 percent of the territory of the aimag is pasture land, almost 2 percent with
hay fields, about 1 percent with sown area, and 15 percent of the territory is covered with deciduous and coniferous forest. There are
ibex, wild sheep, snow leopards, lynx, musk stags, bears in the mountains, and
marmots, susliks, foxes in the steppe. Several peaks rest under eternal snow throughout the four seasons such as
Suvraga, Noyon, and Khan-Undur, Khanui, Khunui. Orkhon, Chuluut, South and North Tamir rivers gush from high Khangai mountain range and the
Uigii, and Terkh fresh water lakes. These rivers and lakes teem with taimen, grayling, scale, and perch. There are many springs such as the
Khadat, Mukhar Khujirt, Bora tal, Tsagaan somon, Beikh, and many beautiful places like Khorgo and Taikhar Chuluu Rock. Around 1,700 species of flora can be found in the territory of the province of which 20 percent are medical herbs. Rare species include roseroot, pheasant eye, and sausserea
involucrata. Arkhangai aimag is rich in historic places. There have been many finds from the Old Stone Age in the basin of
Orkhon, Tamir, Chuluut rivers, inscriptions of the Bilge Khan and Kul-Tegena at Tsaidam monuments in the Taikhar Chuluu and the Khashaat
somon. Impressive are the ruins of the ancient capital city of the Uighur Khanate in Khotont
somon. The agriculture sector dominates the economic activities of the aimag. There are about 45 square miles of arable land, used for growing cereal, potatoes, and other kinds of vegetables. Local farmers harvest over 20,000 tons of grain annually.
Tsetserleg. Elevation 1691m. Tsetserleg is the only aimag capital in Mongolia that could, at a pinch, be called beautiful
(Tsetserleg means garden). The town is ringed by scenic mountains, the streets are tree-lined and a lovely little temple
overlooks the town.
Tsetserleg is a good place to break up your journey if you are combining a visit to Kharkhorin and/or Khujirt with a trip to Terkhiin Tsagaan or Khovsgol Nuur. Maybe it's the mountain air, but the people of Tsetserleg seem to be friendlier than in other aimag capitals.
PLACES TO VISITED.
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The Museum of Arkhangai Aimag is one of the best in the country. It's housed in the temple complex Zayayn Gegeenii
Sum, which was first built in 1586 but expanded in 1679, when it housed five temples and up to 1000 monks. Miraculously, the monastery escaped the Stalinist purges because it was made into a
museum. The main hall concentrates on features of traditional Mongolian lifestyle, with exhibits of costumes, traditional tools, a ger, musical instruments, weaponry and saddles. The second hall concentrates on religious icons. The last hall focuses on local artwork.
Further up the hill there is a small abandoned temple. Behind the temple is a large, nearly vertical, rocky hill called Bulgan Uul, where there are some Buddhist inscriptions.
At street level the Buyandelgeruulekh Khiid is now the town's main functioning monastery.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
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