Located 37 kilometers from Ulaanbaatar, Gorkhi-Terelj National Park is one of several tourist camps that showcase nomadic culture, from riding horses to visiting sites, including: Turtle Rock and Aryabal Buddhist Temple.
Magnificent landscape. PHOTO WENDY HUNGContrasting other steppes, Gorkhi-Terelj features magnificent mountains and enormous tamaracks that paint picturesque landscape particularly during autumn when prickly needles transform to yellow gold.
A trip to Mongolia isn’t complete without riding horses since there are more horses than humans in the country. For centuries, horses have provided mobility during battles, for trade and sustenance from its meat and milk. The park offers an hour-long horseback riding, while guides also introduce the functionality of yurts and various traditional foods, such as: airag or kumis (fermented mare’s milk,) suutei tsai (Mongolian milk tea,) and aaruul (cheese curds.)
View this post on Instagram
Within Gorkhi-Terelj National Park is a major landmark: Turtle Rock, or Melkhii Khad. Legend has it that during the war with Manchu Troops in the 1600s, King Galdanboshigt stashed his treasures at Turtle Rock. Today, locals worship on site in the hopes of wealth for those who have made their way to the rock.
Shaped from thousands of years of harsh wind and rain water, Turtle Rock is set against the striking background of lush valleys and rugged mountains, giving it an apt nickname: Switzerland of Mongolia.
Also located within Gorkhi-Terelj National Park is Aryabal Temple, known to many as a Buddhist meditation center. Hike up a trail in midst of rolling rivers and generations of trees, 114 plaques of Buddhist philosophy and lesson welcome visitors until 108 steps of stairs that lead up to the Tibetan-style temple with ivory squares and a porcelain roof. The interior design illustrate the story of heaven and hell.
Aryabal is a Buddha that release worshippers from suffering through prayers. The temple was constructed in the form of an elephant’s head, while the 108 steps represent the elephant’s extended trunk.
Address:
Энхтайвны Өргөн Чөлөө 206, Улаанбаатар, Mongolia
Hours:
| Thursday | Open 24 hours |
| Friday | Open 24 hours |
| Saturday | Closed |
| Sunday | Closed |
| Monday | Open 24 hours |
| Tuesday | Open 24 hours |
| Wednesday | Open 24 hours |
