Arvaikheer

Arvaikheer (Mongolian Арвайхээр ) is the capital of the Mongolian province Öwörchangai is in the center of the country. The city is a center for traditional art, livestock and equestrian sports. The place is the venue of an annual regional horse festival.

Location and size

The city is located almost exactly in the middle of Mongolia in the steppe 1913 meters above sea level, 430 km from the capital Ulaanbaatar. To the south the steppe vegetation gradually changes into the Gobi desert.

The population was 19,058 Arwaicheers (2000 census ), 23,298 (2004 est. ) 24,200 (2006 est. ). This Arvaikheer is by far the largest town of the entire aimags.

Traffic

Arvaikheer has about 1 km south of the city an airport with a 1.5 km of unpaved road. From here, flights to the capital Ulan Bator.

With capital Arvaikheer is also connected via an asphalt road, driving on the buses. In the north and south of the aimag lead slopes.

Sights and infrastructure

Arvaikheer was until 1990 the seat of a command of the Soviet army, whose presence significantly influenced the architecture of the city earlier. In recent years, however, many public buildings were renovated or newly built, such as the Sports Palace in the east of the city. Opposite a large park was also created, not far from there was an amusement park for children. Another park is being built just west of downtown, which in the dry climate - is associated with considerable difficulties - fall only 254.2 mm of rainfall in the aimag average annually. Unlike most cities in Mongolia, most residents Arwaicheers not live in yurts, but in solid buildings of wood or stone.

Worth seeing is on the square -scale central square of the city, the renovated building of the city administration, compared with rises that also renovated modern theater. Just south of the square runs the broad, tree-lined main street of the town, on the two monuments from the period before 1990 are noteworthy. Otherwise recalls in Arvaikheer only a little at the time of the Mongolian People's Republic.

The relatively large monastery Gandan Muntsaglan Khiid is about 1 km from the central square. It was destroyed in 1937 during the anti-Buddhist riots under its former state and party chief Chorloogiin Choibalsan and re-opened in 1991. Currently, there are about 60 monks.

In Aimagmuseum among other fossils and finds from Karakorum are issued. Another museum in Arvaikheer is dedicated to one of the most important artists of Mongolia, the Lamaist monk Dsanabadsar.

As the capital of an aimag is Arvaikheer home to various authorities. The city also has a large hospital, kindergartens, and various schools and educational institutions. In the city center there are three hotels, an Internet café, several restaurants and shops, so shopping for Mongolian conditions are good.