CHANGING MONGOLIA - 2 In the capital, Ulan Bator, the changes are palpable. The first thing Belgian photographer Marika Dee noticed when she arrived in Ulan Bator (or “UB,” as it’s referred to there) is the sea of construction cranes dominating the skyline. “Many people have an image of Mongolia as a country of nomads, but in the capital the reality is quite different,” she said. What fascinates her most is the way the next generation of Mongolians (almost half of the population is under 30) attempts to balance this new world of technology and consumerism with their traditional heritage —much of which was repressed under the nearly 70 years of communist rule. Lenin and Marx, icons of their parents’ era, have been replaced by Genghis Khan, and Buddhism and shamanism, religions long forbidden, have been embraced once again. “They really want to be proud of their national identity,” said Dee. “This is something that is not unique to Mongolia, but is universal.”
Posted on: Tue, 13 Jan 2015 15:25:29 +0000
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