Bayankhongor Province – Gobi and Khangai land, founded in 1941
Bayankhongor aimag was formed in 1941, originally under the name Govi-Bumbugur, with 16 districts and about 41,000 people. Stretching from the Khangai Mountains to the Gobi, it is one of Mongolia's largest provinces. In the twentieth century the region received investment in infrastructure and education, but it also suffered the repression of its religious heritage, when monasteries such as Geegin were destroyed and thousands of monks lost their lives – a painful memory still honoured today.
In the early 2000s severe zud winters devastated livestock, and many families moved to the provincial capital. Today around 80,000 people live in the aimag. Do you have stories or photos from Bayankhongor? Share them with us!