ARKHANGAI

on the northern slope of the Khangai mountains

By Kim Lau

Arkhangai literally means North Khangai, and the Arkhangai Aimag (province) seats slightly west to the country‘s center, on the northern slopes of the Kangai Mountain. Sandwiched between the Gobi in the south, and the Siberian Taiga in the north, it is quite an oasis with forest steppes. For this journey, Arkhangai was approached from Khövsgöl via Shrine Ider and Jargalant, arriving at Terkhin Tsagaan Nuur – The White Lake. According to a legend, the lake was created when a giant took a large rock and threw it away, looked back and he saw a white surface. The rock ended up farther to the east and is called Taikhar Chuluut. The journey continues southeast towards Tsetserleg leading to Tsenkher hot springs. The pastures in the area are home to many herder families who rear horses for their milk, producing Mongolia’s favorite drink Airag. Airag are made from Mare’s (female horses) milk and are fermented to be slightly alcoholic. Horses in Mongolia are semi-wild, and they need to be subdued for milking. They would have to catch a foul, then a mare; fouls sucking on mare is an essential process for the release of milk by a mare.

SHINE IDER

The village of Shine Ider on route from Khövsgöl to Arkhangai.

TERKHIN TSAGAAN NUUR

Near to the northern shore of Terkhin Tsagaan Nuur with Makhan Tolgoi camp in the background. Illuminated with morning light and super cold!

Summer work at ger camp

Dureenjargal is a Buryat-Mongol whose ancestry is from the lake Baikal area. Zorigoo was spotted for his strong mongoloid features, and he gladly posed for a portrait while supplying firewood to my gur. Captured with the Mongolian horse fiddle in the background, pretty Uyanga was spotted at Tsenkher hot springs for her double eyelid, which is relatively uncommon in Mongolia. They were working for Maikhan Tolgoi gur camps in Turkhiin Tsagaan Nuur.

KHORGO VOLCANO

Extinct volcanoes surrounded with pine clad lava ground - Arkhangai famous peak.

OXBOW LAKE @ TSENKHER

In a plain between Tseterleg and Tsenkher, herder family has semi-wild horses roaming freely. A group of horses charged towards me with great speed and they caught me by surprise. Equipped only with my fisheye lens, this became the result.

Stallion & Horse @Tsenker

Wild and horny, they are king of the pack.

LOSANG TSEVEG

Losang Tseveg framed within the family photos inside his gur. He is a horse farmer at Tsenkher, where he and his family rear horses for milk to produce Mongolia‘s favourite drink - Airag. Losang is also a Tibetan name. Losang is a typical Tibetan name.