News: Bulgan border crossing in west Mongolia now open for tourists.

You mention that only two travel agencies are authorized to issue border passes. Will these border passes be issuable to international travelers or only to Chinese tourists?

Ruth

Hi Ruth

You have a point ;-)
I am checking with the official authorities,
the Chinese sources say "Tourists from both sides..."
But as you point out, it may apply only to Chinese tourists.

I will update when I confirm this issue.

Thanks for pointing it out.

Dan

P.s travelers - hold your horses, before galloping away to Bulgan ;-)

The official Mongolian response NO
Dear Sirs,
Border between Mongolia-/Bulgan/ and China-/Takashiken/ is open only for
Chinese and Mongolian citizens and also temporary. From April until
December and those month’s 15th-30th day is opening this border.
It’s close for third foreign citizens all the time.
Regards,
Public Administration and International Cooperation Department.

Reality check YES
Less than a year ago an Australians crossed the Bulgan border crossing from Mongolia to China
see their blog titled We Stay at a Brothel for the detailed story.

China tour operator response YES
Mark Zhong from Kanas travel - one of the 2 operators that are authorized to supply a border pass replied:
my company are allowed to organize tours to Bulgan in Mongolia and provide a border pass.
we just give you pass permit to Mongolia and when come to China, we just pick up you from border to Qinghe town,or from Qinghe town to the border.
...
It seems this issue has to be further explored.
I will update

Dan

Hi Dan! Thank you very much for your information. If you have more new information, please tell me (or to the forum), because this august I´m goint to Mongolia, and I would like to cross from Bulgan to China.
Thanks again!

I had plans to travel from Shenzhen to Xi'an, to Beijing (where I would sort out visa issues for mongolia) and re-enter China via this border crossing. I wanted to see a bit of western China and pass through mongolia on my way there. My enire planned trip over over two months hinges on this border crossing being open to me. I am a Canadian citizen and I too wish to cross during August, I don't mind buying the border pass or going with the tour companies (would still like to know how much it will cost), and I need to know whether these companies will allow me to continue on independently once I have crossed the border. If I can't get through this crossing, I've got some serious re-thinking to do. All my attempts at communicating with the tour companies have failed. If anyone has any more information regarding this, I would love to know. If I find anything (doubtful) I will post it here. Nick.

Here's all the information that I was able to piece together. I might be attempting this crossing in late July, if anyone would like to join me.

New border crossing opened 5/25/09

Qīnghé (Qinggil; Chinggil) Co., Ālètài (Altay) Prefecture, Yīlí Hāsàkè (Ili Kazakh) Autonomous Prefecture, Xīnjiāng (Xinjiang-Uygur) Autonomous Region, China
清河县 (چىڭگىل ناھىيىسى), 阿勒泰地区 (ئالتاي ۋىلايىتى), 伊犁哈萨克自治州 (ئاپتونوم ئوبلاستىئىلى قازاق), 新疆维吾尔自治区, 中国

Border crossing with Mongolia:

China side - Tarkshken (Tashkin, Takeshiken) 塔克什肯 Land Transportation Port
塔克什肯陆运口岸--蒙古布尔干口岸

Qīnghé (County seat) - Tarkshken 90km
Ālètài (Kazahk Prefecture seat) - Tarkshken 380km
Ürümqi (Autonomous prefecture seat) - Tarkshken 570km
Tarkshken - Border 15.5km

Mongolia Side (English, Chinese, Mongolian)
Bulgan Sum District (Bù'ěrgān) 布尔干县 Булган (Pop. 13,000) <-- closest border city with China, bus drops passengers here
Khovd City (capital of Khovd Aimag, also Hovd) (Kēbùduō Shì) 科布多市 Ховд
Jargalant sum (district where Khovd city is) Жаргалант (Pop. 30,000)
Khovd Aimag Province (Duokebu, also Hovd) (Kēbùduō Shěng) 科布多省 Ховд аймаг (Pop. 89,000)

Tarkshken Checkpoint - Bulgan Checkpoint 25km
Turkshken Checkpoint - Bulgan County Seat 65km
Turkshken Checkpoint - Khovd Provincial Capital 265km

Tarkshken is a two-way, seasonal border crossing, open April - December from the 15-30th of each month.

There is a Qīnghé - Bulgan international tourist bus. Riders must disembark, go through customs, and change busses at the border.

Qinghe Kanas International Travel Service Ltd and Xinjiang Overseas International Travel Service Company are the only two travel agencies that are allowed to organize group tours to Bulgan [I think this refers to the cross-border international tourist bus].

Tourists will go to Bulgan by international shuttle bus [presumably from Qīnghé]. They will have to register with a travel agency for a border pass (边境通行证) one day before traveling to Bulgan. Must have a passport photo and ID card / passport to apply for the border pass. Border pass can be applied for at Kanas International Travel Service Ltd. (presumably the Qīnghé branch).

Advertised price of cross-border transit: RMB 280 / person. Each tour group will have 16 people. Walk-ins allowed. Will send at least one tour bus across border per day.

河塔克什肯口岸至蒙古国布尔干县边境旅游线路
Travel Agencies:
Qinghe Kanas International Travel Service Ltd. (青河县喀纳斯国际旅行社)
(新疆喀纳斯国际旅行社有限责任公司 )

* Contact person：褚津昌 先生 (经理) Mr. Chǔ Jīnchāng (Manager)
*Phone：86-0991-8196110
* Mobile phone：13999963074
* Fax：86-0991-4679856
* Address：乌鲁木齐长江路新丰大厦501
501 Xīnfēng Bldg., Chángjiāng Road, Ürümqi, Xīnjiāng

Xinjiang Overseas International Travel Service Company (新疆海外旅行社)
(新疆海外国际旅行社有限责任公司)
Telephone：86-991-5854065　Fax：86-991-5869282　E-mail：office@otcxj.com
Address：新疆乌鲁木齐市公园北街162号皓翔文苑小区综合楼6楼　邮 编：830000
Building 6, Hàoxiángwényuàn Xiǎoqū, 162 Gōngyuán Běijiē Ürümqi, Xīnjiāng 830000

Info (Chinese): http://www.hljic.gov.cn/zehz/kajs/zgka/t20070208_229072.htm

Map of Qīnghé region: http://www.maplandia.com/china/xinjiang-uygur/qinghe/qinghe/

Mongolia side - Bulgan
Mongolia Side Sites: 敖包 Áobāo (stone altar by side of road), Lama Temple 喇嘛庙, Burgan Mountain 布尔干山, Burgan River Valley scenery 布尔干河谷风光

About Khovd city:

It is situated at the foot of the Mongolian Altay Mountains , on the Buyant Gol river. The Khar Us Nuur (Black Water Lake) is located approximately 25 km east of Khovd, and is the location of a Strictly Protected Area (Mongolian Government designation), called the Mankhan Nature Preserve.

Khovd is known throughout the region for its watermelon and tomato harvest in the late summer, as well as the high quality of its seasonal meat products.

As a result of administrative reforms in 1992, Khovd was accorded the status of Jargalant sum. City area is 80 km2.

Sources:
English (China Hospitality News 6/2/09): http://www.chinahospitalitynews.com/en/2009/06/02/12110-xinjiang-opens-china-mongolia-cross-border-tourist-route/
Chinese (China Hospitality News 6/1/09): http://www.chinahospitalitynews.com/cn/2009/06/02/13077/
Chinese (Xinhua 5/27/09): http://www3.xinhuanet.com/chinanews/2009-05/27/content_16642896.htm/
Chinese (Urumuqi Online 5/24/09): http://www.wlmqwb.com/2971/2972/200905/t20090526_644360.shtml

hi lomsaku!

i'll be in western china in late july and was hoping to make this crossing as well, instead of taking the 48 hour (or more!) train back to beijing in order to enter mongolia. when and exactly where will you be? i don't have exact dates picked out, but i know that i'll be leaving shanghai for xinjiang on july 23rd, which would put me in kashgar around the 26th. i wanted to spend a few days seeking out some silk road sights and such, then head into mongolia on or before august 1. if there's a western crossing, that would be fantastic!

thanks,
chris

Does anybody know what this new situation in Urumqi with the Uighur/Han conflict might mean for the new border crossing? Has anyone heard news concerning the restriction of tourists through the Bulgan border crossing?

I suggest contacting tomongolia for an update.

Ruth