Shortlisted
A New Hope for Mongolia
Sha Tin Junior School, Cyrus Chan, 10
W
hat were the main elements that made the Romans so powerful? They had celestial
land, fertile soil to grow crops, channelled rivers for accessible transportation
networks and a rich culture. Where else would you find another place with
the similar factors? The Gobi Desert. The majority thinks that it is just an
empty, waterless land and without any kind of vegetation. However, the Gobi Desert has been
underestimated greatly for its true capability for developments. In fact, Gobi is not like any
ordinary desert; she has sufficient fertile land, rich in mineral commodities and rivers. The Gobi
Desert should be able to make itself sustainable by utilizing their endowments like the Romans did
to develop as an outstanding region in Asia.
A New thought of the Gobi Desert
The Gobi Desert is situated between China and southern Mongolia which has many climatic
contradictions. From being the third coldest to the second hottest desert in the world where you
can see icy mountains and searing hot grounds. From the arid soil to the successful growth of
grasslands. Despite these diverse weather transitions, animals and plants can still adapt to these
extreme climates only receiving 8 inches of rain per year. Moreover, the nature of its land has
many advantages because of its formation. Instead of merely being covered in sand, the Gobi
Desert is full of bare rocks and cordillera mountains which act like a naturally formed defence
mechanism to protect the area from potential attackers. More importantly, the Gobi Desert is
notable for being part of the Silk Road for trading various profitable goods. The Silk Road is a
financial platform for other countries to trade and the Gobi Desert is a favourable place to trade
and gain riches. Also, the Gobi Desert sets a great landscape as a tourist attraction. Geographical
location is an essential factor that points the success of a country’s future; The Gobi seems to have
these naturally gifted components.
The Lifestyles of Mongolians
“Rivers and lakes where people and cattle quench their thirst; This, this is my native land”
said by the famous poet D. Natsagdorj. D. Natsagdorj is a Mongolian poet and has a memorial
for this poem “My Native Land”. Rarely anyone in secondary school does not recite this
poem. Mongols are civilians that are full of culture and traditional practices. This shows that
Mongolians truly respect their indigenous culture and heritage. For example, there are some
festivals like the famous Golden Eagle Festival that shows the hunting skills of Mongolian
eagles when obeying their masters, usually nomadic. This valued and unique culture of
Gobi has a positive influence on people’s behaviour and mindset of living which reflects on
their personalities of being reserved, submissive and praising traditions. The harsh weather
changes have a significant impact in the way they live and survive. One of the typical nomadic
lifestyles is to move their tents called gers or yurts to different areas three times a year to avoid
intolerable weather. Though it is cumbersome, the inhabitants are in fact content with their
primitive lifestyle relying heavily on animals and limited natural resources. As a person you
would preferably associate with friendly, welcoming and trustworthy people who are very much
