Deer Stone Monuments

VISIT: LATE NOVEMBER 2023

Mongolia in winter? It was not my initial plan, but when my business trip to Beijing got rescheduled from early October to late November, I had no choice. Ok, I had a choice, but I wanted to visit Mongolia. Period. Mongolia is a huge country, and visiting the various WHS in one trip would take a lot of time, so I decided to visit two in a total of 3 days (plus, of course, arrival and departure days): the Orkhon Valley and the Deer Stone Monuments. The Deer Stone Monuments were inscribed in 2023, and their locations were well documented with good maps at UNESCO. There are many more Deer Stones in Mongolia, though. From the 3 locations, the Uushigiin Övör site would be easy if driving west from Ulaanbaatar, and the other two, Jargalantyn Am (two sites) and Khoid Tamir Valley, from Tsetserleg. In summer, Jargalantyn (actually the most important for locals) would be easy, but in winter, it's too far from Tsetserleg, so I chose Khoid Tamir Valley. I didn't know what to expect as information online is very scarce.

The only way to get to the Deer Stones is by private transport. In winter, do not attempt it solo (in summer it is easy), and take a local with you. It's best to go with two cars in winter to save time if you get stuck, which happened twice to me. So really take care if you go in winter. From …

Disclaimer: at first I was convinced I had visited exactly one of the three sites of this TWHS, but then, after better checking, it seems that in mid-August 2018 I was at a smaller field of deer stones of which I can't remember the name between Khatgal (the town on the Khövsgöl lake) and Mörön and near to the Erkhel lake (Эрхэл нуур), not far from the proposed one of Uushgiin övör (Уушгийн өвөр). It was off the beaten track and not so easy to find, but still not so distant from the main road (and of course absolutely no signs). Since the deer stones there are of the same kind as in the other sites and in the same area, I think I can count this as a "visit".

In fact, the official proposal as it stands now probably tries to limit the wealth of such monuments, that one finds scattered in all of Northern Mongolia, just to the most iconic and extended groups. I think, though, that it would make a lot of sense and also benefit the proposal to list other minor, but not less interesting nor significant, sites. It would also give a better sense of the magnitude of this heritage.

That said, I am absolutely favourable to the inscription of deer stone (= буган чулуу/bugan chuluu) monuments in the definitive WHS list, and I think that there are quite good possibilities now that it has been nominated for 2020 (if some …