Bayanhongor

Bayanhongor is the capital of Bayanhongor province. Outside of the city are many hot springs, rivers, lakes, oases, and the Great Gobi A National Park.

Understand
Bayankhongor was once home to one of the largest Tibetan Buddhist monasteries, Gegeen Monastery, in Mongolia with over 10,000 Lama monks until Stalinist purges in the 1930s. It was a major center of learning and religion for the region at the time. However, the communist government destroyed most of the temples and executed many of the monks. In the early 1990s, a small concrete ger was established on the site in an effort to restore Tibetan Buddhism. There are several other active monasteries nearby, plus ruins of other also destroyed by the communists. The city is situated near the northern boundary of the Govi Desert with desert to the south and steppe and forests to the north.

Get in
There is a bus that goes from Ulaanbaatar everyday at 08:00. A paved road connects Bayanhongor with Ulaanbaater through Arvayheer. Travel time is 8-10 hours.

By plane
Airport is just outside of the city with a concrete runway.



Get around
Getting around the town is pretty easy. You can walk from one side to the other in less than 30 minutes. Even the airport is within easy walking distance if you don't have too much luggage. Taxis in Bayanhongor work like they do elsewhere in Mongolia, wave down a random car or go to the market to hire one. Taxis to the villages (or soums) surrounding Bayanhogor gather at the market. Most drivers live in the villages and drive into Bayanhongor in the morning, leaving in the afternoon.