Sept. 7 – Mongolia has opened its borders with China at Altai to foreign tourists for the first time. The move comes after a meeting between Russia, China, Mongolia and Kazakhstan to look at ways to better open up the Altai region and promote more trade and tourism.

Previously, only Mongolian and Chinese nationals could cross. The move is likely to have immediate impact on 2011 tourism plans, as the Altai Mountains are a sought-after destination as part of the northern route of the old Silk Road. The mountains are also used by travelers crossing Central Asia from Europe and western Russia. It cuts out the need to head directly to Beijing on the Trans-Mongolia express and provides another land route.

The route also opens up the possibility of a future expansion of the Mongol Rally which runs each year from London to Ulaanbaatar, the Mongolian capital, before heading into China. The rally is currently in its closing stages in Ulaanbaatar, with many drivers and crews currently arriving in the city. The trip takes around 40 days on average. The new crossing to China is located at the Mongolian border at Khovd.

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China’s Neighbors
(China’s 14 neighboring countries: Afghanistan, Bhutan, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos Myanmar, Mongolia, Nepal, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Vietnam)