Ulan Bator Through the Eyes of Its Bloggers

Photos of Ulaan chuluut dumping ground" by Suuder.com.

With just over one million residents Ulan Bator is the largest city of the most sparsely populated country in the world, Mongolia. The city was founded in 1639 as a Buddhist monastic center, but turned into an important trading and manufacturing hub in the 20th century after the construction of the Trans-Mongolian Railway which connects Russia’s Trans-Siberian Railway and China’s vast rail network.

“A view to Mongolia.” by Thorbj¢rn

The city’s rapid industrialization and urbanization have led to environmental degradation, and also calls for democratic governance. Both topics recur frequently in posts by Mongolian bloggers.

Bilguun points us to some recent photographs of the Ulaan chuluut rubbish dumping ground at Tolgoit which were published on Suuder.com. Citing a report from the Embassy of Japan in Ulan Bator, Bilguun writes that each year 60,000 tons of illegal garbage are illegaly dumped around the city at sites which attract scavengers searching for recyclables to sell. “A new USD10 million disposal site funded by aid from the government of Japan opened last year, located 2km from Ulaan Chuluut. According to ardchilal.com, the new site at Narangiin Enger meets the modern environmental regulations and recommendations.”

Khuushuur, who blogs at Mongolian Matters, says that despite a recent art exhibit in Houston, Texas that challenges caricature depictions of Genghis Khan, Mongolian characters are still cast in Hollywood films as evil villains and gangsters.

Nomad Green is a collaboration between the Mongolian and Tibetan Foundation and the Mongolian Green Party to spread awareness - both at home and abroad - about their country’s environmental crisis. Nomad Green aims to 1.) train citizen journalists how to use blogs, digital video, podcasts, and map mashups to report on environmental news, 2.) create a network and community of environmentalists sharing and spreading information about related threats, solutions, and opportunities, and 3.) translate content into Chinese and English to promote more regional and international cooperation in facing Mongolia’s environmental challenges. They are also developing a map interface to visualize the country’s environmental hotspots.

A good deal of artistic exchange seems to be taking place in Ulan Bator. Art Hub Asia is sponsoring an open art academy in Ulan Bator and, in Beijing, a Mongolian art exhibit was attended yesterday by Prime Minister S. Bayar to celebrate the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Mongolia and the People’s Republic of China.

Lastly, Bilguun points us to a documentary video from the British series Unreported World about “ninja miners” who have fled the hustle and bustle of Ulan Bator to seek gold off the grid, and without the knowledge of the Mongolian government: