Foto: The 40meter high equestrian statue (bron: Ronald van der Veer)
Mongolia - Just fifty kilometers outside Ulaanbaatar lies Terelj National Park. This nature reserve is popular among the residents of Ulaanbaatar. It’s relatively close by and offers many accommodation options. Numerous ger camps are lined up in the area. In the middle of the park stands Turtle Rock. From a distance, the enormous rock looks exactly like a turtle. In Genghis Khan's time, the turtle was the most important symbol. As I approach the rock, the turtle shape becomes clearly visible. Amusing. Just outside the park, along the main road, stands the statue of Genghis Khan. The forty-meter-tall statue is visible from afar. It’s an enormous monument. Only when compared to the people walking beneath it can you truly grasp its size. The equestrian statue was built in 2008 to commemorate the 800th anniversary of the founding of the Mongol Empire by Genghis Khan. The statue is also accessible from the inside. In the small museum, a video shows how the steel statue was constructed. Then I take an elevator up through the horse’s tail. A staircase leads to just above the horse’s head. From here, I have a stunning view of the vast surrounding landscape. On the platform, I meet a Dutch woman traveling on the Trans-Siberian Express with two Spaniards. They’re making a short stop in Ulaanbaatar.
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