ZULGANAI RIVER

The river is located in the westernmost part of the Umnogovi province, and it is considered the largest among the 33 oases in the Gobi region of Mongolia. This beautiful pure natural place can be found in the western part of the Altan Uul Mountain, 70 km away from Khermen Tsav. The water coming down from Altan Uul Mountain and Tost Uul Mountain flows out from under the sand in the vicinity of Talyn Khairga (Graves) and forms the Zulganai River. From there, it flows northwest for 12 km, subsequently it sinks back under the sand, and then emerges again and flows throughout the ground surface. However, the water of the Zulgai River is slightly salty, it can be used for drinking.

The river’s surrounding is astonishingly beautiful as along its banks, reeds, tamarisk, and licorice trees grow and rare plants such as saxaul tree, cypress, poplar, and elm trees could be found encircled by dunes. Locals call this natural scenery covered by rich plants "A hundred Trees - Zulzganai". Because the oasis balances the nature and ecology of the Gobi Desert, biologists, and oasis researchers’ studies on combating desertification are often carried out in the Zulganai River. Zulganai river water flow level is more exposed at night, black flies increase in the evening according to this feature. The trees in this environment grow tall enough for camels to hide in, which protects them from the harsh sunlight and sweltering heat.