Mongolia’s Capital at a Glance

Last Saturday, we, the current KOICA trainees, visited Zaisan Monument. It’s named “Зайсан” in Mongolian. Located at the southern part of Ulan Bator, Zaisan provides perhaps the best panorama of Mongolia’s capital.

(The stairway to Zaisan Monument)

(Looking down at the city from Zaisan)

Nearby the monument, the buildings are mostly new and luxurious. I hear that some apartment lends at $5,000 per month.

As you can tell from the second picture, the city looks very livable, even beautiful to say the least, and the scene does not reflect the harsh reality of a developing country. This is somewhat true of Ulan Bator, but the majority of the city contains high air pollution, minor crimes, and fraudulent activities.

Ulan Bator is almost considered a city state due to extreme contrasts to other cities in Mongolia. I will be relocated to a place 8 hours apart from the capital. The real Mongolia awaits, as some would claim.