Hovd is a city in the Hovd province of Mongolia.

Understand

Hovd city has a history of about 240 years. At the center there is a ruined fort where the Manchu dynasty Viceroy lived with his troops. Mongolian revolutionaries chased them out in 1911. While the Manchus were ruling, they planted trees aglong the main streets that can still be seen today.

Since 1911 Hovd city has developed and now has a big hospital, a university for the youth of Western Monglia, a quality airport, kindergartens, a cinema, and a theater.

Hovd is unique because of its ethnic makeup. It consits of 17 soums, some of which have their own ethinc groups including Kazakhs and seven different Monglian gorups. Many of the small ethnic groups live mainly in Hovd aimag and have their own special dialects, clothes, dances, songs, musical instrumetns, and ceremonies. Urianhais are of the improtant ethnic groups. Their archery is very unique and involves shooting at leather balls.

Get in

AeroMongolia flights from Ulaanbataar to Hovd fly 2-3 times a week.

Get around

A taxi around Hovd costs 400T for 1KM

See

There are sixteen soums (govermental divisions) in Hovd province. Some of them are home to different ethnic groups. Please see the Hovd (province) page for more information on the soums and things to do in the surrounding countryside. Most the true attractions are in the countryside not in the city.

Right outside the city is Baatar Hairhan Mountain which is next to the Hovd airport. This mountain is a historical site because one of the famous Mongolian generals gave his command to his soldiers and attacked Hovd city and freed it from the Manchu troops in the 1920s. There are also many ancient petroglyphs on this mountain.

In the middle of Hovd, next to the post office, is the Hovd musuem. This contains a variety of exhibits showing the past of Hovd ethnic dress and a variety of animals native to the region.

Another thing to see right near Hovd city are some mineral springs. There is one big spring which is to the northeast of the city on the road to Buyant and Myangad soum. It is said that people who get poisoned drink it as a treatment. There is another spring on the mountain directly behind the town, called "drop spring", about 5km from the center of Hovd. People believe that it is good for your heart.

Do

Anything is possible to see in Hovd such as Kazakh, Khalkh Mongolian and other Mongolian ethnic groups customs and culture. It is a chance for every tourist because there are many ethinic groups living in Hovd. You can see the most intresting things at the theater. You can listen to Kazakh and songs and Mongolian songs. The most intresting and difficult song to learn is the Mongolian song which is called "urtin duu". Also, you can see two countries' national dance with their traditional clothes. Tourists can spend their free time in the theater, museums and bars. There are about ten bars which people spend their free time and they can sing a song in the karakore room and dance and listen to music in the bars. You can see the traditional ancient clothes, weapons and other traditional things and famouse people's pictures in the museum.

People can all visit the museum which has exhibts with animals, insects, and the traditional clothes of differnt ethnic groups.

Hovd is an old city that began about 1760 with the construction of the Manchurian fort where traders use to meet each other.

There is an internet cafe where you have to pay 600 tugrigs an hour.

Hovd has two big rivers called the Buayunt and Hovd Rivers. The Buyunt river goes through the town and many people swim in it.

In Hovd you can see three statutes of Western Mongolian heros. There names are Amarsanaa, Ard-ayush, and Galdanboshigt. People often take photographs with them.

Buy

Eat

• Tsomorlig Cafe is opposite the police station. It has a blue sign. On the menu, there are some Mongolian traditional meals, many kinds of salads, beverages and other kinds of meals.
• Bolor, located behind the theatre, serves a large variety of food including chicken, fish and stir fries. Also, Bolors has fast service and it is very comfortable for a few people. However, it is a little bit cramped for many people. It has an English and Mongolian menu
• Naraan Restaurant is located between the light green "HAS" and the Drak blue "HAAN" bank buildings. It is a two floor yellow building. The bar is on the second floor. It is famous in Hovd for its variety of food and beverages. It has an Englsih and a Mongolian Menu.
• Buyant Restaurant, located next door to the Buyant Hotel offers traditional Mongolian dishes such as buuz, stir fried rice, soup, salads etc. Also, there is a bar, which serves Vodka, cola, juice, coffee, tead, and fresh water. It is a very quiet place

Drink

Mongolian people usually drink salty milk tea. If you don't like to drink milk tea you can drink coffee, cola, fruit tea, fresh water, beer, or voldka. You can buy these things from the market, and from food shops. The cost is not expensive. One coffee is one hundred tugriks. Ten fruit tea bags cost 500. A beer is 1500-1800. You can drink these things in restaurants, hotels, cafes, and bars. You can also drink other traditional beverages such as the feremneted milk of horses, camles and cows.

Airag- Fermented mare's or camels milk. Mongolain herders make it during the summer time. You can buy it at the marekt. the longer it is stored, the stronger it becomes. A liter is about 500 tugrigs.

Sleep

• Buyant hotel - located next to the main road in the center of town - about 10000T per person per night.
• the Myangat Ugalz Hotel - clean and comfortable.
• In the summer, camping near the Buyant river is an option.
• Ger Camp, abut five kms from the center of the town - twenty-five dollars per person per night or about forty dollars including meals.

Get out