One of the reasons I wanted to tour the Eastern part of Mongolia was the strong connections to Chinggis Khaan, who was born and held court here. It is over 800 years since he united the disparate tribes into the nation of Mongolia for the first time, and he is still by far the most important figure in the Mongolian national consciousness. The history of his life and accomplishments - documented in The Secret History of Mongolia - are studied in depth by all schoolchildren here, and here there is Chinggis Khaan everything - beer, monuments, restaurants, bank notes, hotels. His image is all over the country and sites gain importance through a connection to him, and Mongolians remain very proud of the man and his accomplishments. This approach to him reminded me of the Russians'
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