2.8 fois la superficie de la France et 19 fois moins d'habitants.
Comparée à Taiwan, 43 fois sa superficie et 6.5 moins d'habitants.
3.6 millions d'habitants en tout, dont 50% vivant à Ulan Bator!
We have just come back from a trip in Mongolia.
2.8 times the area of France and 19 times less inhabitants.
In Taiwan context, 43 times the area and 6.5 times less inhabitants.
3.6 millions people with 50% in Ulan Bator!
The symbol of Mongolia found everywhere and on the national flag: fire / sun / moon / earth / ying yang.
Another omnipresent symbol of Mongolia, like here in front of our hotel: Genghis Khan, the fierce warrior lord founder of the Mongol Empire in the 12th century.
Ulan Bator nowadays, a very young fast growing capital city, as seen here from our hotel room.
Petit chat de l'hôtel.
The kitten of the hotel.
UB is greener than expected.
0.05 euro la minute.
Et on dirait que toutes les vieilles hybrides Toyota Prius sont à UB!
Electric scooters everywhere in self-service rental via mobile app.
0.05 euro per minute.
Seulement 2700 euros en occasion.
All the old hybrid Toyota Prius seem to have found a second life in UB!
Only 2700 euros in second hand.
La Mongolie et l'URSS sont moins amies de nos jours.
We visit the Zaisan Memorial built in 1971 to commemorate the Soviet troops killed during WW2, and helped stop the Japanese invasion.
Mongolia and the Soviet Union are not so friends nowadays.
Le monument n'est pas mal, sans plus.
Mais surtout, on a une belle vue de UB.
The monument is nice but that's all.
Ici, c'est la région Sud, celle des riches.
But from there, we can get a nice view of UB.
To the South are the wealthy quarters.
Les autres régions sont moins top à cause des centrales électriques à charbon. En hiver, c'est le smog total.
Cette poutre très vénérée est tout ce qui reste de la purge Staliniste.
The other areas of UB are plagued by the coal power plants, with full smog in winter.
Et en banlieue, on trouve les quartiers des migrants, saisonniers ou pas, habitant des petites maisons ou des yourtes traditionnelles.
Après Zaisan, on va au monastère Tibétain Bouddhiste de Gandan, fondé en 1809, détruit par Staline dans les années 1930, et re-construit après.
In the outskirts, are the quarters of the seasonal or not migrants living in small houses or in gers.
After Zaisan, we visit the Tibetan Buddhist Gandan Monastery, founded in 1809, destroyed by Stalin in the 1930s, and re-built afterwards.
Au passage, le monsieur avec son chapeau de cow-boy est notre guide Tuji, très Mongole, non?
This must-pray column is the only remain of the Stalin purge.
By the way, the guy with a cow-boy hat is our local guide Tuji, very Mongol, no?
A 25m high Buddha statue, re-cast in 1979. The original one having been melted by Stalin...
Tibetan Buddhism is the major religion in Mongolia.
This monastery is very popular.
Après, on va a la place Genghis Khan, une immence place à la Soviet, avec GK au milieu, flanqué de ses généraux et fils et petit-fils.
Then, we go to the Genghis Khan Plaza, huge as Soviet-style is, with a GK statue, surrounded by his generals, son and grandson.
Typical Soviet-style architecture with columns and bright colours.
Le tableau original se trouvant au Musée National de Taipei au fait.
GK's biography and his very famous portrait.
The original painting being at the National Museum of Taipei by the way.
Son petit-fils le plus connu, Kublai Khan, qui a conquis toute la Chine au 13ème siècle et fondé la dynastie Yuan (元), mais qui sera détrônée à son tour par la dynastie Ming (明) au 14ème siècle.
Et ainsi s'acheva l'empire Mongol.
His most known grandson, Kublai Khan, who conquered all of China in the 13th century and founded the Yuan dynasty, but only to be overthrown later in the 14th century by the Ming dynasty.
His most known grandson, Kublai Khan, who conquered all of China in the 13th century and founded the Yuan dynasty, but only to be overthrown later in the 14th century by the Ming dynasty.
Ending the Mongol empire then.
