Sainshand

Understand

This small city in the Govi is planned to become a major industrial site with mineral processing and a hub between the Trans-Mongolian Railway and a new east-west cross-Govi railway connecting major mines with eastern Siberia.

Getting there

As it is a station on the main train-line of the Trans-Mongolian line of the Trans-Siberian Railway from Beijing via the Zamiin-Uud/Erlian border crossing to Ulaanbaatar, there is little public transport otherwise. A paved road was completed in 2013 connecting Sainshand and Zamiin-Uud to Ulaanbaatar via Choir. There are buses to and from Ulaanbaatar.

By train

Trains departing from Sainshand go either south to Zamiin-Uud or north to Ulaanbaatar. There are 2 daily trains to and from UB, plus express trains on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday with fewer stops. There is a daily train to and from Zamiin-Uud. Local trains stop at every town and city along the way and can have over 20 stops between Zamiin-Uud and Ulaanbaatar.

1 Sainshand Railway Station. (updated Dec 2024)

See

1 Provincial Central museum, Altanbulag Street No:A50, II bagh. Daily 08:00-17:00. The Noyon Khutagt Danzanravjaa (1803-56), a well known Mongolian writer, composer, painter and medic, was born about 100 km southwest of Sainshand. The museum has a collection of gifts presented to Danzanravjaa by Chinese and Tibetan leaders, costumes used in his plays, Buddhist statues presented to him by the 10th Dalai Lama, and some of his paintings. He was also very interested in traditional medicine, so the museum has a collection of herbs. 2000 ₮, camera 50000 ₮, video 50,000 ₮. (updated May 2023) 2 Danzanravjaa Museum. Museum is dedicated to exhibiting various Mongolian cultural artifacts (updated Aug 2024) 3 Saran Khukhuu Theater. (updated Dec 2024) 4 Gobi Paradise. (updated Dec 2024) 5 Sainshand Stadium. Football field. (updated Dec 2024) 6 Tank Monument. (updated Dec 2024) 7 American Space Dornogovi (American Culture Information Center), Soembo Sum, ☏ +976 89820982, [email protected]. Tu-Sa 08:00-20:00. (updated Dec 2024)

Do

You can visit the Hamriin Hiid Monastery about 50 km south of the town (about 40,000 ₮ per car). The drive through the desert is less than 1 hour. The monastery is not much more than a collection of stupas, but it's in a beautiful desert location and it's an important place for Tibetan Buddhists and locals come here to absorb "Enerji". For those who like Feng Shui or Zen Buddhism, it is the best place for cleansing and performing the appropriate rituals along with the locals.

Eat

1 Sydney Restaurant. (updated Dec 2024) 2 Tumbaash Restaurant and Pub. (updated Dec 2024)

Sleep

There are hotels near the train station and near the government building.

1 Khur Gobi Hotel. (updated Dec 2024) 2 Margad Hotel. (updated Dec 2024) 3 Crystal House Hotel, ☏ +976 99110076, [email protected]. (updated Dec 2024)