{"id":65692,"date":"2026-06-12T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-11T23:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/norimen.net\/?p=65692"},"modified":"2026-06-11T21:25:25","modified_gmt":"2026-06-11T12:25:25","slug":"enta-mongolia-trip-part-2-ulaanbaatar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/norimen.net\/en\/enta-mongolia-trip-part-2-ulaanbaatar\/","title":{"rendered":"Enta Goes to Mongolia! Part 2 | I Visited an Abandoned Coal Mine, Megaliths, and the Equestrian Statue of Genghis Khan on the Outskirts of Ulaanbaatar"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hello, everyone.<\/p>\n

This is Enta.<\/p>\n

Enta Goes to Mongolia! Part 2.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

My 4-night, 5-day trip to Mongolia is about to begin.<\/p>\n

Of course, since it\u2019s me, I\u2019m not just going to be sightseeing.<\/p>\n

I also took a good look around at how the rocks are exposed in this area, the shape of the mountains, the soil composition, the rock types, and the degree of weathering lol<\/p>\n

Since you don't often see slopes like the ones in Japan, the terrain you'll see consists mainly of soil and rock.<\/p>\n

The next question is: Which parts have been eroded by the rain and wind, and which parts remain?<\/p>\n

In the end, that's what you end up looking at, isn't it?<\/p>\n

Even when I go on a trip, I feel like the places I look at are a little different from what most people see, lol.<\/p>\n

\"Ulaanbaatar\"<\/p>\n

On the first day, we visited the ruins of the Naraiha Coal Mine facilities.<\/h2>\n

On the first day, we headed to a site that was described as the ruins of a facility associated with the Naraiha Coal Mine.<\/p>\n

I hear regular tourists don't usually go to places like this lol (Of course, I'm the one who picked it lol)<\/p>\n

It seems most people tend to go to more flashy tourist spots or places with stunning natural scenery.<\/p>\n

Well, I guess that makes sense.<\/p>\n

I don't think many people come all the way to Mongolia just to see old coal mines and ruins right off the bat, lol.<\/p>\n

Based on my research, the Naraikh Coal Mine is considered one of Mongolia\u2019s earliest major coal mines, located near Ulaanbaatar. It appears to have begun full-scale operations in the 1920s and played a key role in supporting Ulaanbaatar\u2019s energy supply during the socialist era.<\/p>\n

\"Nalaikh<\/p>\n

It is no longer in operation as a large-scale coal mine, and remnants of its industrial past can still be seen in the surrounding area.<\/p>\n

However, I was unable to confirm whether the building I saw this time is officially open to the public and managed as the \u201cFormer Coal Sorting Plant.\u201d<\/p>\n

So, this is part of the \u201cNaraicha Coal Mine-Related Facilities Ruins\u201d that we were shown during our visit.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve heard that Japanese prisoners of war once worked here.<\/p>\n

\"Nalaikh<\/p>\n

The concrete that exploded in the fire is incredible.<\/h2>\n

What really caught my eye here was the reinforced concrete from several decades ago.<\/p>\n

Perhaps due to the fire, there was some concrete whose surface appeared to have cracked and spalled.<\/p>\n

It looks like it buckled after the explosion.<\/p>\n

\"Cracked<\/p>\n

Isn't this awesome? lol<\/p>\n

When concrete is exposed to high temperatures, its surface may flake off or the rebar may become exposed due to internal moisture or thermal expansion.<\/p>\n

If you've ever done repairs or inspected deterioration on a job site, this is probably the kind of thing that makes you stop in your tracks.<\/p>\n

It has a great atmosphere even as a ruin, and since it's surrounded by open space, the building's silhouette looks incredibly cool.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s actually much larger and has plenty of other highlights, but personally, I found myself really captivated by this old reinforced concrete structure.<\/p>\n

It's less of a tourist spot and more of a tour to see dilapidated structures, lol.<\/p>\n

\"Cracked<\/p>\n

Next, on to the equestrian statue of Genghis Khan<\/h2>\n

Next, we headed to the equestrian statue of Genghis Khan.<\/p>\n

Roughly speaking, the distance to each place I plan to visit is about an hour and a half by car.<\/p>\n

The driver's dad said,<\/p>\n

\"Well, that's pretty close, lol.\"<\/p>\n

That's the kind of thing you'd say.<\/p>\n

Nah, my sense of distance is totally off lol<\/p>\n

But when you think about it, maybe we're the same.<\/p>\n

There are people who, if it takes an hour and a half to get from the office to the job site, think, \u201cWell, I guess that\u2019s pretty close,\u201d right? lol (Limited to slope contractors)<\/p>\n

We\u2019ll go anywhere for slope stabilization projects\u2014whether in the mountains, over mountain passes, along the coast, or at prefectural borders.<\/p>\n

Since people in Mongolia are used to traveling by car across their vast country, I think they probably consider an hour or an hour and a half to be a short distance.<\/p>\n

What's more, as soon as you step outside the city, there are hardly any traffic lights.<\/p>\n

Just keep running.<\/p>\n

This is Mongolia.<\/p>\n

\"Equestrian<\/p>\n

The equestrian statue of Genghis Khan is just huge.<\/h2>\n

So, I saw the equestrian statue of Genghis Khan.<\/p>\n

According to publicly available information, this statue is described as a massive, stainless-steel equestrian statue approximately 40 meters tall.<\/p>\n

According to the Guinness World Records, it is listed as one of the world\u2019s largest equestrian statues, with a total height of 50 meters, including the pedestal. (That\u2019s about 450 million yen!)<\/p>\n

When you actually see it up close, it's much bigger than it looks in photos.<\/p>\n

And what really caught my attention wasn't the history, but the materials, lol.<\/p>\n

Is this stainless steel 303 or 304?<\/p>\n

Considering machining and welding, maybe SUS304?<\/p>\n

I watched it while thinking about trivial things like that.<\/p>\n

However, the documentation only specified \u201cstainless steel\u201d; I was unable to confirm the specific steel grade.<\/p>\n

So whether it's SUS304 or not is just my own wild guess, lol.<\/p>\n

\"Equestrian<\/p>\n

It's this big!<\/p>\n

The horse's mane serves as an observation deck, so I took a selfie from there, but it's hard to tell how big it is, lol.<\/p>\n

Have him stop every time we see a boulder along the way<\/h2>\n

Whenever we came across a big rock while we were on the road, I had the driver pull over.<\/p>\n

I'm sure the driver probably didn't have a clue what I was talking about lol<\/p>\n

But this is what's on my mind.<\/p>\n

How have the rocks been preserved?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

How is the surrounding soil being eroded?<\/p>\n

Fracture patterns, surface weathering, color, and hardness.<\/p>\n

When I see things like that, I feel like I get a little sense of the atmosphere of that place.<\/p>\n

Among the boulders I saw there, some looked like chert based on their appearance and the way they were fractured.<\/p>\n

However, since I haven\u2019t checked each one against the local geological maps, I won\u2019t make a definitive statement here.<\/p>\n

From what I could see, it seemed as though the hard rock remained firmly in place even as the surrounding soil and sediment were eroded by rain and wind.<\/p>\n

\"Mongolia:<\/p>\n

\"Mongolia<\/p>\n

I also went to see the famous Turtle Rock.<\/h2>\n

Next, we saw the Turtle Rock.<\/p>\n

Turtle Rock is a famous rock formation found around Gorkhi-Terelj National Park; it seems to be known locally as \u201cMelkhii Khad.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to the tourist information, it is described as a granite outcrop approximately 24 meters high.<\/p>\n

This is incredibly huge.<\/p>\n

\"Mongolia,<\/p>\n

It really does look like a turtle, doesn't it?<\/p>\n

That said, for people who aren't interested in rocks, it'll probably just end with a \"Hmm\" lol.<\/p>\n

So, if you're just sightseeing, I think it's enough to just look at it from a distance.<\/p>\n

If you like rocks, you should go a little closer to take a look.<\/p>\n

\"Mongolia,<\/p>\n

It's interesting to look at the degree of weathering on the surface, the cracks, and how the rock has eroded.<\/p>\n

The granite looks nicely weathered\u2014maybe civil engineers should check it out!?<\/p>\n

Nature is vast, but the ground is covered in poop.<\/h2>\n

By the way, the vast natural surroundings are truly amazing.<\/p>\n

The sky is vast, the mountains are far away, and the grasslands stretch on and on.<\/p>\n

In the photos, it\u2019s simply a beautiful natural landscape.<\/p>\n

But here's the thing.<\/p>\n

My feet are covered in poop lol<\/p>\n

Horses, cows, sheep, goats, and various other animals.<\/p>\n

Chances are, there's probably something lying around at the foot of that vast-looking natural landscape, lol.<\/p>\n

How to walk without stepping on things.<\/p>\n

This is a very important skill for traveling in Mongolia.<\/p>\n

If you notice a strange odor inside your car...<\/p>\n

Is anyone doing this? lol<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

Mongolia: Driving on Roads Where There Are No Roads<\/h2>\n

After that, we also visited a small temple.<\/p>\n

But the journey to get there is amazing.<\/p>\n

There's no path, lol<\/p>\n

Anyway, the car just keeps shaking and shaking.<\/p>\n

If you live a normal life in Japan, you almost never drive on roads that aren't actually roads.<\/p>\n

But in Mongolia, it\u2019s a common occurrence.<\/p>\n

This will definitely get you drunk.<\/p>\n

Absolutely!! lol<\/p>\n

It's not about the driver's technique or anything like that.<\/p>\n

It's just the nature of the terrain.<\/p>\n

It just keeps shaking.<\/p>\n

There are also many banks.<\/p>\n

If I were to look at my phone while driving, I think I'd get caught right away lol<\/p>\n

If you're planning a trip to Mongolia, I recommend training your inner ear before you go.<\/p>\n

I'll be spinning around at home and working out before heading to Mongolia lol<\/p>\n

I'm used to mountain roads from working on slope stabilization projects, you see.<\/p>\n

It's a piece of cake!! lol<\/p>\n

\"Mongolia:<\/p>\n

Part 2 was about Mongolia, which really resonated with civil engineers.<\/h2>\n

This second installment of my Mongolia series might be a little different from your typical travel article.<\/p>\n

Abandoned coal mine, old concrete, boulders, weathering, and paths where there are no paths.<\/p>\n

Rather than a day of glitzy sightseeing, it was a day where I found myself drawn to the terrain, the structures, and the act of moving around.<\/p>\n

But this is actually really fun.<\/p>\n

Mongolia is vast.<\/p>\n

The rock is huge.<\/p>\n

My sense of distance feels off.<\/p>\n

And you can't let your guard down when it comes to your feet, lol.<\/p>\n

In Part 3, we'll delve deeper into the scenery and way of life that are uniquely Mongolian.<\/p>\n

And I think both civil engineers and slope engineers will end up saying, \u201cWe want to go to Mongolia!\u201d lol<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

See you later.<\/p>\n

What to Do About That Boulders? 7 Solutions | Slope Stabilization Work<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n