This series focuses on the historical landscape of the Mongolian Altai in Bayan-Olgii. Dividing Central Asia from the north, desert from grassland, taiga from mountain steppe, the Altai Mountains have fostered the hunting, herding, and nomadic cultures of Eurasia. The high mountains contain fascinating petroglyphs. While I was never a fan of petroglyphs, the ones from the Mongolian Altai were presented in style as they blend harmoniously into its surround landscape. The Mongol Altai was once inhabitant by Scythians until 300AD, and many of the burial mounds, Kurgans could have been from that period. This region of the Altai is the homeland of the iron-working Türks, leaving behind Turkic Stone Man altars. This series also includes a Kazakh cemetery, a war monument near Olgii, and the interesting monument of Galdan Boshugtu Khan in Khovd, who was a Dzungar-Oirat Khan ruling much of Western Mongolia. While the walls from the Machu garrison post in Khovd are still erected, neither the wall nor the littered interior is of any aesthetical interest.
Petroglyphs of animals at Shiveet Khaikhan Uul (mountain) overlooking the mighty Tsagaan Gol (river).
Petroglyphs of animals at Tolgoi (headland) overlooking Khoton Nuur (lake).
Petroglyphs of a herd on an piece of isolated rock near Shiveet Khaikhan Uul (mountain). The slate of rock with the petroglyph fell, with the petroglyph looking downwards.
Moustachioed Turkic stone man (BalBal) at Mogoit (snake) valley.
Kurgan are ancient burial sites, and Kurgans like these were spotted throughout Bayan-Olgii. Kazakh also practices using stone slates as indicator of a burial site, albeit less elaborated. Dramatised with the Olympus Dramatic Tone filter with diminished saturation.
A modern Kazakh cemetery at a wide valley on the way towards Khoton Nuur from Dzgast Nuur. Each fenced compound is a family of graves.
Just outside of the administrative town of Olgii overlooking the river is a prominent but disregarded monument. I was told that it was erected to commemorate Kazakh soldiers who died in the war between the overlord Chinese and the Japanese.
Galdan was the Dzungar-Oirat Khan and a direct descendent of Taisi Esen, the Oirat who once ruled Mongolia after the Mongols were banished from China. Galdan initiated wars on the Khalkh for revenge, drove the Khalkh nobles into Inner Mongolia and submission to the Qing Dynasty under the Manchu. This dispora includes Gegeen Bogd Zanabazar. Gladan had initial success, but his throne in Dzungar was later usurped by Tsewang Rabtan. While he was ruling Eastern Mongolia (Khalkh land), Qing emperor Kangxi lured him to Beijing under the guise of a signing a treaty, but we was entrapped by Khalkh troops backed by the Qing. Facing dilemma of being captured either by the Qing or Tsewang, he poisoned himself to death.
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© 2026 Kim Lau
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