Mörön (city)

Mörön Мөрөн
—  Sum  —
Mörön from south, July 2008
Mörön Location in Mongolia
Coordinates: 49°38′08″N 100°09′20″E / 49.63556°N 100.15556°E / 49.63556; 100.15556Coordinates: 49°38′08″N 100°09′20″E / 49.63556°N 100.15556°E / 49.63556; 100.15556
Country	Mongolia
Province	Khövsgöl
Area
– Sum	39.7 sq mi (102.9 km2)
– Urban	6.2 sq mi (16.04 km2)
Elevation	5,610 ft (1,710 m)
Population (2007)
– Sum	36,082
– Density	908.2/sq mi (350.65/km2)
Time zone	UTC+8
Area code(s)	+976 (0)138
License plate	ХӨ (_ variable)

Mörön (Mongolian: Мөрөн, lit. "river"; also spelled Murun, Moron) is the administrative center of Khövsgöl Aimag (province) in northern Mongolia. Before 1933, Khatgal had been the Aimag capital.

Mörön has a hospital, a museum, a theatre, a post office, several schools and kindergartens, as well as one of the biggest outdoor markets in the country. If something is lost it usually can be found in Mörön perse (GPS 49.624973,100.181081). The town has its own power station. Additionally, it has been connected to the Mongolian central power grid in 2004.

History

The settlement stems from the Möröngiin Khuree monastery which had been founded in 1809/11 on the banks of the Delgermörön river. By the beginning of the 20th century, the monastery had grown to a population of about 1300 lamas, but was destroyed in 1937. A small new monastery Danzadarjaa Khiid has been erected on the western edge of the town in the 1990s.

Population

In the western part of Mörön

Mörön population ^{[1] [2][3] [4][5][6][7]}

1959 est.	1969 census	1979 census	1989 census	1994 est.	2000 census	2005 est.	2007 est.
9,000	11,200	16,500	21,300	27,230	28,147	35,872	36,082

Most of inhabitants live in yurt quarters.

Airport

The Mörön Airport (ICAO:ZMMN, IATA: MXV) has two runways, one paved and one gravel. It is served by regular flights from and to Ulan Bator. Some flights to the western Aimags may also stop over here.

Climate

Mörön experiences a semi-arid climate (Köppen BSk) with long, very dry, frigid winters and short, warm summers.

Climate data for Mörön
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Average high °C (°F)	−14.5 (5.9)	−9.3 (15.3)	0.8 (33.4)	9.9 (49.8)	18.2 (64.8)	22.9 (73.2)	23.4 (74.1)	21.9 (71.4)	16.7 (62.1)	7.6 (45.7)	−3.7 (25.3)	−12.1 (10.2)	6.82 (44.27)
Daily mean °C (°F)	−22.7 (−8.9)	−18.3 (−0.9)	−8 (17.6)	1.4 (34.5)	9.7 (49.5)	15.2 (59.4)	16.2 (61.2)	14.4 (57.9)	7.9 (46.2)	−0.7 (30.7)	−11.4 (11.5)	−19.8 (−3.6)	−1.34 (29.58)
Average low °C (°F)	−28.8 (−19.8)	−25.8 (−14.4)	−15.9 (3.4)	−6.4 (20.5)	1.2 (34.2)	7.5 (45.5)	10.1 (50.2)	7.6 (45.7)	0.4 (32.7)	−8 (17.6)	−18 (−0.4)	−25.6 (−14.1)	−8.48 (16.75)
Precipitation mm (inches)	1.3 (0.051)	1.0 (0.039)	0.8 (0.031)	7.0 (0.276)	15.3 (0.602)	42.6 (1.677)	59.6 (2.346)	54.1 (2.13)	17.5 (0.689)	5.3 (0.209)	1.9 (0.075)	1.4 (0.055)	207.8 (8.181)
Source: Hong Kong Observatory [8]

Sights

• There were 60 temples and monasteries in Mörön at the end of the 19th century. Möröngiin Chüree Khiid Monastery in which about 2500 monks were living was the most important one. It was famous for its Tsam dances. In 1937, however, the monasteries and temples of Mörön were all destroyed by order of the then president Khorloogiin Choibalsan, like everywhere in Mongolia. Danzadardscha Khiid, a small new monastery, was built in a traditional style in the western part of Mörön in June 1990, and 40 monks are living there at present^[9]. Several stupas and a tall Buddha statue were built around it as well.
• Further sights are to be found in the Central Square: The municipal theatre houses the Aimag Museum, founded in 1949, which shows about 4000 objects, e.g. are traditional clothes and other items of minorities living in Khövsgöl Aimag^[10]. The Post Office is in the southern part of the large Central Square. Opposite, the Town Hall which was built in a typical socialist style, is worth a look as well. In the middle of the square, a tall memorial was erected to honour Davaadorj, a soldier from Mörön who, together with the Soviets, fought against the Japanese in the east of Mongolia in 1939 in the battle of Khalkhyn Gol when he was just 13. He was awarded the title of a Hero of Mongolia by president Tsedenbal later, but he died as early as in 1948.
• Another sightworthy memorial was erected in front of the airport, referring to Khainzangiin Gelenkhüü (Хайнзангийн Гэлэнхүү) (1870–1938), a buddhist monk who tried to fly with wings made of of sheep leather near the town of Jargalant in the 1930ies^[11].
• The Wrestlers' Stadium is an interessting modern building in the eastern part of the town. In front of it, a memorial was erected to honour three famous wrestlers stemming from Mörön. A special park for children was laid out opposite the stadium.

• 

  Airport

• 

  Gelenkhüü Memorial in front of the airport

• 

  Central Square with Chingunjav Memorial

• 

  Museum

• 

  Town Hall

• 

  Post Office

• 

  Danzadardscha Khiid Monastery

• 

  Buddha statue at the monastery

• 

  Wrestlers' Stadium

• 

  Wrestlers' Memorial

References

1. ^ National Statistical Office[1]
2. ^ National Economy of the Mongolian People's Republic (1921 - 1981), Ulaanbaatar 1981
3. ^ , GeoHive: Global Statistics, [2]
4. ^ Population Statistics: historical demography [3]
5. ^ M. Nyamaa, Khövsgöl aimgiin lavlakh toli, Ulaanbaatar 2001,passim
6. ^ Rural Poverty Reduction Programme: official site
7. ^ Khövsgöl Aimag Statistical Yearbook 2007
8. ^ "Climatological Normals of Muren". Hong Kong SAR Government. http://www.hko.gov.hk/wxinfo/climat/world/eng/asia/china/muren_e.htm. Retrieved 2011-01-05. 
9. ^ Michael Kohn: Mongolia, p. 150. London 2008.
10. ^ Marion Wisotzki: Mongolei, p. 232. Berlin 2010.
11. ^ Michael Kohn: Mongolia, p. 163. London 2008.

External links