A cozy Ger camp near the ancient capital of Karakorum.(Photo/Shanghai Daily)
The thunderous sound of a thousand horses rages in the near distance. From across the seemingly infinite steppes of the Central Asian hinterlands, the air is transformed into a deafening roar of hooves, howls and cries. Huge iron swords ready at the hilt, piercing eyes gazing from hardened leather helmets, stout bodies shrouded in tough hide armor, the noses of their fierce mounts flared in flaming fury. In the long shadow of impending doom, it is then that one realizes: It is too late. Genghis Khan has arrived.
From the 13th to the 14th centuries, Genghis and his Khan descendants, the ground quaking under the weight of their mighty armies, unleashed a fury of global conquests that became the largest contiguous land empire the Earth has ever known, ruling over one-fifth of the world's land mass and subjugating a staggering 25 percent of the planet's population. The extent of the Mongol Empire are nearly impossible to comprehend, stretching across a huge swath of land from Eastern Europe all the way to the Korean peninsula, touching the Mediterranean, the Himalayas, Arabian deserts, Siberia and the shores of the Sea of Japan.
An adventurous start
In Ulaanbaatar, the Mongolian capital, sand was pouring down from the sky like rain during a monsoon. It was one of their frequent sandstorms, and we were stuck in Beijing. After numerous delays and a day-long wait, making good friends among our hodgepodge group of stranded yet spirited strangers, we finally took off and, upon landing in Mongolia, the entire plane broke out in frenetic applause.
Ulaanbaatar and its surroundings offer some impressive sights, including a mystical temple in the mountains at Aryabal Meditation Center, a towering 26.5-meter-high golden statue of the Buddhist figure Avalokitesvara at Ganden Monastery, the magnificent Winter Palace of Mongolia's last emperor and a grandiose public square featuring a gigantic statue of Genghis Khan, seated regally on a majestic throne.
As interesting as Ulaanbaatar is, I was eager to get to the destination I had truly ventured here for, the location where the great Genghis Khan embarked on his extraordinary campaign across much of the known world.
From whence a mighty cavalry once rode
Sitting in a quaint valley, surrounded by soft, rounded mountains, the legendary town of Karakorum was the capital of the Mongol Empire. It was from this exact spot that Genghis Khan rallied his troops before advancing into much of Western Asia. Born as Temüjin, he became a respected tribal leader and consolidated his growing power base through politics and warfare. During a kuriltai (traditional council meeting) in 1206, he was elevated to the super status of "Genghis Khan," meaning supreme leader or king of kings, uniting all the regional nomadic peoples as the head of "all who lived in felt tents".
While very little remains that reveals Genghis Khans' once powerful presence in Karakorum, save for some old fire pits and palatial foundations, his power can be felt just by trekking atop the very soil that his mighty cavalry embarked from. When all was quiet, I could almost hear the rumbling of horses as the Mongol's fierce armies charged their way into Europe and China. Eventually undone by overextension and infighting, the ambitiousness and brutal rule of Genghis Khan and his successors still reverberates centuries after their fateful demise.
A run-in with a modern Genghis Khan
Driving among grazing cattle, curious camels and meandering sheep, we made our way to Erdene Zuu, the oldest surviving Buddhist monastery in Mongolia. While exploring the extensive grounds and remarkable temples, I met a large Mongolian man whose intense eyes were imbued with strength and confidence. He was wrinkled and weathered. He wore a thick moustache, a dark leather coat with fine embroidery and an enormous silver-studded belt that looked like it belonged to an emperor's tunic. His appearance was imposing, and I felt as if I was staring at Genghis Khan himself.
As I gazed up at him, I reached my hand out. He shook it and smiled warmly, his dark-hued eyes staring straight into mine.
A portal into the past
The wind howls through a small opening at the top of the simple, round tent. Through the ger's opening, I can see eagles roam and horses saunter while dust blows over the stark, dry terrain and the lingering goats — a moment that seemed frozen in time. A ger is a traditional, portable Mongolian tent, made from a wooden frame and covered with skins or felt. Surprisingly spacious, they seem almost impossibly larger inside than outside. No trip to Mongolia would be complete without a crisp night under the infinite arrays of stars in a local tent, the same way the nomads of the world have been living for thousands of years.
After a pleasant stay in a cozy ger camp, it was time to head back to Ulaanbaator. Luckily for us, a special treat was in store: From out of nowhere emerged the 80km stretch of giant sand dunes known as Mongol Els, part of the outer extremities of the mighty Gobi Desert. Here, the hot grainy sands of the arid landscape stream over mounds of gold, conspiring to form magical mirages and drifts of dreams. Genghis himself may have traversed these very same trails. In this wondrous place one can meander under the soaring sun, frolic about in the sea of sand or take a ride on the affable two-humped Bactrian camels that trudge along this area.
