No Car Day In The City

Picture: No cars on one main street in UB

Today it was arranged by the city to have a "No Car Day". A five kilometer area around the surrounding of the city center was free of cars. We wanted to take a walk to see what it would be like not having any traffic on the city streets. Usually a Sunday the streets are full of cars, buses and people, there is never a let up in the traffic. It was strange to see the streets so empty, very quite, no horns tooting. Many people had come out walking. Most Sundays we try and go for a walk and see one of the sites that is within the city area. Today we wanted to visit one of the temples in the heart of UB.

Picture: Ben & Paige sitting on a traffic directing police post

We headed towards the Sukhbaatar Square as I wanted to get some shots of one of the city busiest streets. The square was full of people enjoying the entertainment which was being performed. There where people riding bikes and a group giving everyone free hugs. We only stayed a short time as we where worried about pickpockets. On walking from the square we received hugs from the free hug people. I asked Why are you hugging people?" the ladies reply was "To celebrate peace" what a nice gesture I thought.

Picture: People on the steps at Sukhbaatar Square

Picture: Dance performace in the square

Picture: Man offering a hug

Picture: Group walking from the square

Picture: Group of four walking from square

We then walked on to visit The Choijin Lama Temple Museum. The entrance ticket had this brief description on it to explain what the temple was;

"The Choijin Lama Temple Museum is an architectural masterpiece of the 19th and 20th Century. It was erected by Mongolian architects between 1904 and 1908 in honour of the influential lama called Lubsanhaidub. He was Mongolia's last king and brother of the VIII Bogd khan. The museum is a whole ensemble of Buddhist architecture and cinsists of 6 temples, which are the temple of Maharaja, the Main Temple, the Zankhan Temple, the Zuu Temple, the Temple of Yadam and the Temple of Peacefulness. It has five arched gates and accommodates more than 8600 items of cultural heritage."

Picture: Walking into temple

Picture: A piece of art work in the temple

Picture: Part of the temple

Picture: Section of the temple that shows many items

It was interesting to see different types of work and items, even though we mightn't understand the meaning behind each piece on show but we still found this temple interesting. Paige liked the artwork on display of horses around the grounds of the temple, it was interesting to see how they had been decorated by different artists.

Picture: Paige with two of the decorated horses

Picture: Some decorated horses in the ground of the temple

It was nice taking a walk with no cars on the street, it was a perfect walk except for the spring wind.