Ulaanbaatar

It's a city renowned for its traffic congestion and smoke pollution more so than its beauty - or at least that's my impression from the thin slice I've seen so far.  Most of the "UB's" 1.4 million residents - roughly half the country's population - derive their heating from open coal fires hence the. acrid smoke that hangs in the air most days during the winter.

The city was founded in 1639 as a nomadic monastic Buddhist monastery and moved 28 times before they finally made up their minds. to settle in one spot.