Most of travelers head to Ulaanbaatar via Beijing, but you can also do it through Hohhot.

I got my Visa to Mongolia from Hohhot, the capital city of Inner Mongolia, northwest of Datong, Shanxi Province. It took roughly a week (Price was 650RMB, but it may be different depends on how fast you want to get it)through a travel agency (Mobile phone number: 13366278902). Travel agency bought me a train ticket to Zam Uud, the border town of Mongolia where i should upgrade my train ticket to Ulaanbaatar city.

Train arrived in Erlanhot next morning, the border town of China where the train bogies required to change in order to adopt the railway of Mongolia side. It takes about 6 hours. Meanwhile, we left train station, and checked in a hotel near train station, had a shower and breakfast. Train attendant suggested us to come back on train about 3 O'clock in the afternoon, so we took a taxi to a market where we can change the money (0479-7561638 phone number of the money exchanger in that market). It was 1 RMB for 147 Tugrik, I changed 3000 RMB, very quickly I became a rich man lol. Then I walked around the market, it is a big market, I met several groups of Mongolian people are bargaining in this market while some others are having business negotiation.

After check-out at hotel, we slowly walked back to train station, custom gate was still closed, so we had to wait for a while. After the custom checking, we came back on train, but for some reason the train didn't move until 6 O'clock around the evening. Finally the train moved, Mongolian custom staff started to check our Visa and bags on train, I saw a train attendant tried to hide some fruits boxes under the aisle, there are some spaces, i assume they didn't want custom staff saw that for some reason. Train stopped again in Zam Uud after 10 minutes, another turn of waiting. Train attendant found me to ask for ticket-upgrade, I forgot how much in tugrik i paid but not too much. Afterwards attendant gave us a cup with couple of bags of tea, we didn't use it at all but we were asked to pay for that (about 10 RMB/per person). Some people walked out for food, some just took a walk. I don't suggest you to walk far from train as one of my friend later got robbed by a group of Mongolian young guys outside the platform.

Another overnight train. Train arrived in Ulaanbaatar train station next morning about 12:00, platform is full of people, watch out the thieves around, and there are some cases that single female travelers got robbed. Many cars parking outside the platform, which is an unique thing in Mongolia that any car you see in the street could be taxi, because most of them do not have TAXI sign on the top of the car. The best way to get rid of the hassle in train station is to book the room ahead and most of guesthouses in Ulaanbaatar provides free pickup service.

Tips:
1. Prepare fruits and food for this long journey
2. Don't drink too much water when you come back on train in Erlanhot, cause you'll get locked on train for many hours without toilets available on train.
3. Robbery could happen in Zam Uud stop, don't leave far away from the train.
4. Book room ahead and ask for free pickup cause it's not quite safe near train station.

Thai Consulate, American Consulate, Korean Consulate and German Consulate.

After Chengdu lunched the direct flight to Siem Reap, now travelers can find direct flight from Chengdu to Manila, the capital of Philippines from next month. Since more and more direct flights lunched in Chengdu, traveling to Asia and Europe became easier day by day.

In China, thousands of bears live a life of torture on bear farms. The bears are “farmed” in order to extract their bile. Bears are confined in cages which vary in size from agonisingly tiny "crush" cages to slightly larger steel crates, all of which cause terrible physical and mental suffering. In addition to their captivity torment, the bears are subjected to painful & cruel methods of bile extraction that involve crude surgery to implant a steel catheter into the abdomen or the creation of a permanent hole in the abdomen known as the "free-dripping" technique.

Many bears die as a result of the unsanitary surgery and those that survive spend the rest of their lives suffering in extreme pain and depravation.

The Asiatic Black Bear (Ursus Selenarctos) is most impacted by the demand for bile acid - ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA). This species of bear is more commonly known as the Moon Bear due to the beautiful yellow crescent on its’ chest. They are listed under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) in Appendix I, the most critical category of endangerment. These bears are both trapped in the wild & bred in captivity for exploitation on the farms.

Bear bile is used in Traditional Chinese Medicine. However, leading Traditional Chinese Medicine doctors now agree that it can and should be replaced by herbal and synthetic alternatives that are cheaper, more effective and readily available. So in addition to the inhumanity, the initial rationale on which this industry was built is no longer valid.

China Bear Rescue Centre

The China Bear Rescue Centre came in to being following the signing of an unprecedented agreement with the Chinese authorities in July 2000 to free 500 farmed Moon Bears. The sanctuary was established north of Chengdu. The China Bear Rescue Centre is an inspiring and exciting facility that gives the bears everything they were denied on the farms: health, freedom & happiness. These happy & healthy bears have tasty food, the pleasure of roaming in lush natural foliage or swimming in cool water and the freedom of choosing whether to wander off alone, or to be "on view" to admirers.

Upon arrival these pitiful, caged newcomers are given a medical by the Centre’s Veterinary Team now recognized as world experts in this field. All the bears required extensive surgery for their injuries, to remove the steel catheters and to fix their abdominal wounds. Surgery for each bear lasts between 4-12hours.

The sanctuary, features the pioneering design and development work of an internationally acclaimed animal architect. This is the first dedicated bear sanctuary in the world. It is an adventurous creation that combines a safe, but natural, home-from-home for the bears in Rehab Centres and bamboo forest, - but which also allows inspirational "up-close" visitor access in specially created "zones", where the general public can see a bear’s life!

Catering to their special needs is a professional team of on-site managers and workers, plus experts (including volunteers) who are experienced and qualified in working with bears and who ensure that each day is filled with interesting enrichment activities to keep them stimulated throughout the day.

Helping these bears - helps people as well. In addition to the Centre imparting “inspiration for humanity” on its visitors they also currently employ over 50 people on site, ranging from bear workers, security and maintenance staff, and gardeners. Cooks are employed to feed 185 bears and staff who give them their every day care. Local farmers have a ready market for their produce and several small shops have appeared around the perimeter of the Rescue Centre.

The Rescue Centre is scheduled to open to the public in mid-2005.

Why Support this Charitable Cause?

In addition to the obvious benefits for the Moon Bears, this project and the foundation are deserving of support and relevant to those living in Sichuan, reasons include:

*Well run charity with a high percentage of donation being spent on their programs

*Achieving positive outcomes with a win-win-win approach

*Geographically relevant

*Participation encouraged

*Enlisting volunteers to assist

*Defined project expansion upon reaching funding targets

*Clear goal to stop bear farming by the 2008 Beijing Olympics

Animals Asia’s approach for this project is worthy of mention.

To achieve the outcome of cessation of bear farming in China, they initially signed an agreement with the China Central Government to issue no more bear farming licenses enforceable across all provinces. They then set about encouraging bear farms to find alternate activities and help convince them by purchasing their bear farming licenses. They built a centre to help these newly freed bears. To change attitudes they enlisted the support of leading Chinese doctors and the Traditional Chinese Medicine Associations across the world to reject bear bile as a source of UDCA.





They operate campaigns in schools & universities in China to educate people about the cruelty and complete in-necessity of this industry. The local community is involved through employment & commerce.

They have created momentum for this outstanding cause by delivering win-win-win solutions, not problems.

Animals Asia Foundation

The Animals Asia Foundation, managed by professionals, resident in Asia, is committed to forging constructive solutions to the seemingly insurmountable problems which the animals face in today's changing environment.

Animals Asia Foundation is a Hong Kong-based government-registered animal welfare charity founded by Jill Robinson MBE in 1998. It also has charitable status in the UK, USA and Germany with donations being tax-deductible in these countries. It is a registered non-profit organization in Australia and has additional offices in New Zealand and China.

Upon reaching the fund raising target the American Chamber of Commerce and the British Chamber of Commerce collectively adopt one Moon Bear. Naming rights for the adopted bear can go to the winner of a “Special Raffle” for those that purchase benefit/field trip tickets.

For mor information, please visit the
Animals Asia Foundation web site here