Hovd/Khovd


Landscape in Western Mongolia
Photo by: tiarescott, Creative Commons

Khovd is a unique ethnic city in the town of Hovd, Mongolia. The place was almost fully developed acquiring an airport, a theater, a cinema, kindergartens, University of Western Mongolia, and a huge hospital. You can get there by plane or by bus while you can ride a taxi to take you around Khovd.

Hovd is made up of 17 large towns where some of the ethnic tribes reside including the Kazakhs and the other seven Mongolian tribes. Some of the tribes that represent their own town have their own culture, dialect, clothes, dances, songs, ceremonies, and musical instruments. This is a once in a lifetime experience for every tourists to learn and know the different customs and traditions in every town.

The sights to visit in Khovd include Baatar Khairhan Mountain which is about six kilometers south of Khovd city and airport. This mountain is a famous historical site because it symbolizes the freedom of Hovd city when Mongolian soldiers attacked the troops of Manchu in 1912. Ancient carvings are found on mostly the south parts of the mountain.

Another interesting sight you should not fail to see is one of Khovd’s famous aimag attractions – the cave paintings inside Tsenkheriin Agui located in Mankhan soum. The red-ochre drawings and masterpieces found inside are believed to be from ancient times and existed 15,000 years which could date back from the late Stone Age era.

Pictures were taken and preserved in the two-storey Khovd Museum where it also highlights the displays of orthodox costumes of the ten indigenous tribes of Khovd.

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