Bulgan

Bulgan is a city in the Bulgan province of Mongolia. The city is home to several small museums and a small active monastery that occupies a temple built in 1876, with about 30 active monks just south of the city.

Understand

Bulgan
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D       1.4     −12 −27       2     −9 −25       3.1     1 −16       11     10 −7       23     18 0       53     22 6       71     23 10       64     21 7       33     16 0       12     8 −8       3.8     −3 −17       1.9     −10 −24 Average max. and min. temperatures in °C Precipitation+Snow totals in mm NOAA (1961-1990)
Imperial conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D       0.1     10 −16       0.1     15 −13       0.1     33 3       0.4     49 20       0.9     64 32       2.1     72 43       2.8     73 49       2.5     70 45       1.3     61 33       0.5     47 18       0.1     27 1       0.1     13 −11 Average max. and min. temperatures in °F Precipitation+Snow totals in inches

Bulgan is a small city of roughly 18,000 people (2008) in the middle of the breadbasket of Mongolia. The city has been an active settlement for hundreds of years with the Bangiin Khuree Monastery once being home to over 1,000 monks before being completely destroyed by Stalinist purges in 1937, and other buildings dating back to the 17th century.

Get in

There's a paved road between Bulgan and Ulaanbataar. This road passes through Erdenet, the second largest city. There is 1 bus that leaves everyday from the Dragon Center in Ulaanbaatar to Bulgan at noon, plus several buses between Bulgan and Erdenet daily. It is also possible to travel via public transit between Bulgan and Mörön.

See

• Dashchoinkhorlon Khiid Monastery founded in 1992. Replaced a monastery that was destroyed in 1937 by Stalinist purges.
• Mausoleum of Khatanbaatar Magsarjav, hero of the Battle of Hovd, where he helped drive the Chinese out of a fort in 1912 in the Mongolian war of independence.
• Uran Togoo Tulga Nature Reserve, 60 km south of the city, has an extinct volcano.
• Museums located in the city preserve a fort used in the 1921 war against White Russians, the first Mongolian into space, J Gurrangchaa, and the Aimag Museum with displays on ethnic groups, ancient artifacts, the Chinese occupation, and the communist era.

Eat

Most restaurants in Bulgan lies near the main highway.

• 1 Arwai Restaurant (in the northwest section of Bulgan). (updated Dec 2021)
• 2 Nutgiin Zoog (нутгийн зоог), ☏ +976 7034 4307. Th 09:00–23:30. Other days: 10:00–23:30. (updated Dec 2021)
• 3 Jaran Restaurant. 10:00–20:00 daily. (updated Dec 2021)
• 4 Dream Lounge Restaurant, ☏ +976 9550 5904. M-Sa 10:00–19:00. Serves soup, rice and sometimes vegetable salad. (updated Dec 2021)

Drink

• 1 Undram Pub (near the Altan market), ☏ +976 9103 3353. 10:00–22:00 daily. Serves a wide variety of beverages including whiskey, soda, beer, vodka and local tea. (updated Dec 2021)

Sleep

The city has two hotels.

• 1 Bulgan Hotel, ☏ +976 8616 9716. The largest hotel in Bulgan. There are double beds, small desks, kettles and a TV in each room. (updated Dec 2021)

• 2 Khantai Hotel (Хантай зочид буудал) (about 45 m east of Bulgan Hotel, near the central park), ☏ +976 7034 2964. A small two-story building. Due to its location, you can reach shops, restaurant and pubs very quickly. (updated Dec 2021)

Go next

From Bulgan, you can travel on coaches or minibuses to the nearby city of Erdenet.