On the Road...Overseas Part One - Mongolia

Reporting from Mongolia, this is Dave Wade.

You might think such a place so far would be exotic and a treasured life experience. While the City, Ulaanbaatar is in Mongolia, we are not experiencing Mongolia for its vast nature, unfortunately. We are limited to the City due to business schedule. The City is different than western culture in some ways and in most not so good...but first the good.

Mongolia, culturally is all about Ghengis Khan (also as Chenngis Khaan). While he was a wickedly effective Warrior, he is simply touted here as the creater of the Modern World. The First to support Fredom of Religion, Paper money and Free Trade Market economics, in the 1200's. So they put him on Everything...the Parliment Building on Public Square, he sits in the center:

The Culture:

Ulaanbaatar (UB)is trying to be Tokyo or NY NY. Everyone (except the Monks) wear jeans and leather. It has only been free of Russian Socialism (independance) since 1990 and the old buildings and roads/public areas have no maintenance because the tax base has not built up, but the development and population is growing and choking the city. Inside this reality, there are 5 or 6 areas of UB which are walled compounds of Shamanist or Bhuddist Monasteries, open to anyone like Churches. One such area is the Gadan Monastery just a block east of the hotel. On a clear day at sunset, this is what it looks like:

The Bldg dead center in this photo below is the main Gadan Temple, the founding place of Sutra-Tanta Bhuddism .

Here is the Compound entry and some smaller temples and prayer centers leading up to the main temple, look closely to see the Shamanist Monks:

Below, Coming up to the primary Temple, the Migjed Janraisig, Built in 1838.

In 1911 The last the the Khaan rulers had a 75 foot Janraisig (Bhuddist God of Compassion) statue built and erected inside. It was confiscated and broken down by Communists in 1937, shipped to Moscow, melted down to make bullets for the War. A new one was built with Gold and jewels donated from Nepal and Tibet in 1996. It has a complete "Ger" in its base with furniture. Here is the base of the Janraisig Statue:

And the rest of Janraisig, now known as the Sacred Object of the People:

Quite imposing She is. there are Libraries and Prayer Temples here. We observed in a Prayer Temple like this, benches and tables where you can sit in front of a Monk and get counseling for a donation. 10 or 12 of them chant and sing and pray after you tell them your troubles. This is obviously support for them and their Monastery which I found worthy of praise and respect.

Part 2 coming soon..........................