Uuliin Nuur Community Project Ulaanbaatar
Meet Ulziitogtokh Sodnomsenge (Ulzii), the founder and driving force behind the Uuliin Nuur Community Project in Ulaanbaatar, Ulzii is a quiet changemaker with a big heart. In a city where few safe and accessible community spaces exist—especially for children—Uuliin Nuur is a rare and inspiring exception. We are proud to be in a long-term community partnership with Ulzii and to support the work he continues to lead.
Ulaanbaatar – A City of Contrasts
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia’s capital, lies in the valley of the Tuul River. Once a nomadic settlement, it became fixed in its current location in 1778. From 1924 until the early 1990s, Mongolia was governed under Soviet-style socialism, which shaped the city’s early urban planning. This created a centralized downtown core—planned for 600,000 people—that still stands today.
However, Ulaanbaatar is now home to around 1.5 million residents—almost triple its intended capacity. Nearly 60% of the population live in ger districts, semi-formal and unplanned neighborhoods that ring the city. These areas, composed of both traditional gers and self-built houses, are disconnected from central infrastructure: no plumbing, running water, or central heating.
As one former Mongolian president remarked:
“Ulaanbaatar is like a family living in a ger that became too small to contain all the members of the extended family.”
Challenges in the Ger Districts
The rapid expansion of Ulaanbaatar’s ger districts has been largely driven by rural-to-urban migration, especially in recent decades. As the climate crisis intensifies, Mongolia’s herding families have faced increasing hardship due to cyclical extreme weather events known as dzud—severe winters that follow summer droughts and devastate livestock herds. Many of these families have moved to the capital not necessarily in search of a better life, but simply in search of any form of opportunity or stability.
However, transitioning from a traditional nomadic lifestyle to urban living is far from easy. The lack of essential infrastructure and public services—including heating, water, sanitation, and safe community spaces—makes daily life in the ger districts particularly challenging. As Ger Hub notes:
“For a country that has maintained a nomadic herding culture for centuries, living in an urban environment is a brand new phenomenon that presents infrastructural, political, and social problems.”
Creating Change: The Uuliin Nuur Community Project
The Uuliin Nuur Community Project, founded by Ulzii, is helping transform a corner of Ulaanbaatar’s ger districts into a more hopeful and livable space. In 2009, Ulzii received official permission to rehabilitate a long-abandoned quarry in the Denjin Myanga ger district. Once used for city construction under the socialist regime and later abandoned as a dumping ground, the site was neglected and forgotten.
But Ulzii had a vision—and he invested his personal savings to make it happen. (Ulzii is a philanthropist—though he’d never call himself one. In his 2015 TEDxUlaanbaatar talk, he spoke about the quiet hope of someday being rewarded for the good you do today.)
“The kids in this area often have a very hard life. I want to give them somewhere to play.” — Ulzii
By 2014, Uuliin Nuur (which means Mountain Lake) had officially opened, offering a safe, affordable, and welcoming space for local families in one of Ulaanbaatar’s most underserved areas.
Uuliin Nuur is more than a quiet space—it’s a space for education, creativity, and connection. Ulzii, runs free English and music classes for local children when he can and is continuously improving the site, which has become home to ducks, doves, and even a rabbit. Over time, he has planted more than 500 trees, creating a rare oasis of quiet in a city struggling with air pollution and overcrowding.
What’s especially noticeable? There’s no rubbish. Children and families who visit are encouraged to take ownership of the space and keep it clean—a reflection of the respect Ulzii inspires in his community.
EL + Uuliin Nuur = Long-Term Support
We deeply love this place, and we’re proud to support it. That’s why we include Uuliin Nuur as part of our complimentary ‘Intro To Ulaanbaatar’ experience that we offer to our EL guests, making a donation for every EL guest who visits. During the pandemic, Ulzii shared this message with us and our guests:
“I really appreciate your donation for our community to support Uuliin Nuur in this difficult situation. I always try to use donations for necessary things… I paid my land tax for the first season of the year. That really helped me. I am always thankful for you and your tourism family who always support Uuliin Nuur. Wish you all the best and health.”
A Local Side of Ulaanbaatar
Many international visitors rush through Ulaanbaatar—perhaps stopping at the National Museum or a cultural show—on their way to Mongolia’s more remote regions. But Ulaanbaatar is so much more than its downtown core. Visiting Uuliin Nuur allows guests to experience a more local, grounded, and community-led side of Mongolia’s capital.
Join Us & Explore the Community Spirit
If you’d like to experience the community aspect of Ulaanbaata for yourself, why not join our Ulaanbaatar City Day Tour: An Immersive Cultural Connection? You’ll discover more than just the landmarks—you’ll connect with people like Ulzii who are creating real, lasting change.
Warmly, Jess @ Eternal Landscapes Mongolia
