It was going to be a long driving day as we expect to cover 280 km, estimated to take 5 hours. Our destination today is to visit Tsagaan Suvarga (the White Stupa). Now my understanding is that a stupa is a form of Buddhist architecture so was I surprised when we finally arrived at the “White Stupa”.

Our first stop was a surprise as we entered the city of Dalanzadgad, the capital of Ömnögovi province. It was a real city with some high rise buildings and even an airport. It lies at an elevation of 1470 meters and boasts a population of almost 25,000. It is 540 km from Ulaanbaatar. We were here to visit the new, modern GOBI Museum of Natural History, opened in 2022. It is a beautiful museum. Unfortunately it also has the no photograph policy so I cannot share what I saw while there. We had a guided tour led by a museum employee so we got to see the real highlights of the museum. The museum’s collection includes traces of human habitation in the South Gobi Province dating back 4,500-5,000 years, ancient relics and fossils from the area. The museum also showcases jewelry, vessels, religious artifacts, Buddha paintings and musical instruments. It is a world class museum in a beautiful building.

After our 90 minute tour we stopped at what appeared to be a small shopping center to access an ATM. However, when we entered the building it became obvious it was Mongolian equivalent of Costco! It was a hoot and we all enjoyed wandering through it seeing all the products they offered.

It was back then to the dirt roads that led to the White Stupa. Seeing a small herd of camels lingering by a water trough we stopped to see how the nomads watered their animals. There was a well where a gas powered pump would be run to fill a small trough. It was not operating when we arrived but that soon changed. Between Maggie and Scott they powered up the pump which filled the trough for the now happy camels! We did our good deed for the day.

Two and a half hours after leaving Dalanzadgad we arrived at our night’s ger camp in time for a late lunch. There was a bit of leisure time thrown in until we left after dinner to see the White Stupa as we neared sunset.

We left the camp at 7:45 PM for the short drive to the White Stupa. Arriving at the parking lot all we saw was a flat plain. As we walked on flat ground I wondered where was the famed stupa. Then we reached the edge of the cliff we were standing on and we saw it! It was not a Buddhist structure, but a jaw dropping landscape before us, enhanced by the setting sun and the multiple colors of the rocks before us. It was beautiful and I also think maybe more impressive than the Flaming Cliffs we saw earlier. We spent the next half hour walking along the cliff edge, taking way too many pictures and simply absorbing what we were seeing. Definitely one of the highlights of the trip for me.

 

Not sure how it got its name, but the internet says it was once the floor of an ocean and its face looks like a stupa. Another article says because it resembles the ruins of an ancient city when seen from a distance..  You pick whichever explanation you like.  The formation is over 60m tall at its highest point and continues for an impressive length of 400m.

Tomorrow we continue our journey northward, back towards Ulaanbaatar.