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1 NEAR NEAR Leading the Era of Northeast Asia 36 Representatives of NEAR members play the rhythm of harmony with Korean traditional musical instruments at the 8th NEAR General Assembly Special Contribution Pioneering the "Great Age of Exchange in Northeast Asia" NEAR This Month NEAR Activities l Secretariat News l NEAR Member News Feature Report The Five Treasures of Ningxia NEAR Member Tour Bayankhongor Province : Blueland of GOBI and HANGAI

2 NEAR News NEAR Newsaims to become an official messenger of NEAR to deliver news and share information among members. It is a periodical newsletter containing contents on NEAR activities, member news, international issues, contributions, notification, etc. NEAR News is translated into 5 languages (Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Mongolian and Russian) and distributed to NEAR members and related institutions free of charge. It is also serviced online on the NEAR homepage. NEAR News is open to anyone who is interested in Northeast Asia. If you have good contribution articles or creative ideas that you would like to run on the NEAR News, please contact the NEAR Secretariat. 2

3 The Association of North East Asia Regional Governments NEAR NEAR NEAR is... an international organization founded by 29 government from four Northeast Asian countries, including South Korea, China, Japan, Russia, etc., in September 1996 in Gyeongju, South Korea. NEAR has adopted the Charter based on the ideology of coprosperity of Northeast Asia, and carried out extensive exchange and cooperation projects in various fields ranging from economy and trade, education & cultural exchanges, environment, disaster prevention, cross-border cooperation, science & technology, ocean & fisheries to tourism. With the participation of North Korea and Mongolia and accession of new member governments, NEAR is growing as a representative regional diplomacy and cooperative organization of Northeast Asia with 70 member governments from six countries. NEAR is open to all. Any local government located in the Northeast Asian region sharing the founding purpose of NEAR can join us through the NEAR General Assembly. 3

4 - Special Contribution Pioneering the "Great Age of Exchange in Northeast Asia" Governor Shinji Hirai of Tottori Prefecture, Japan Honorable NEAR member regions, Now we are witnessing a significant rise in the status and importance of the Northeast Asian region on the global stage and it has become almost impossible to discuss cooperation in Northeast Asia without mentioning the crossborder role of the Association of North East Asia Regional Governments. Let me take this opportunity to thank the people concerned for their remarkable efforts. Taking advantage of its geographical position, close to the countries around the sea, Tottori Prefecture has established strong relationship with Gangwon-do Province of Korea, Jilin Province of China, Primorsky Region of Russia and Tuv Province of Mongolia. The heads of the five regional governments have gathered since 1994 by organizing the GovernorsConference of Northeast Asiain an effort to set a model of exchange and cooperation among Northeast Asian regions. Such activities over a long time have encouraged deep human exchange and produced fruitful outcomes in facilitating economic, tourism, cultural and environmental exchange. Furthermore, Tottori has accelerated efforts to intensify its role as a hub of exchange in the East Sea Rim region, as the Sanin Kaigen Geopark joined the Global Geoparks Network and Tottori was selected as the host of the 2012 International Manga Summit. Currently, Northeast Asia is undergoing a historical transformation. The region has come into the limelight as the new pole of global economic growth,as the center of wealth and economic power moved to the region in a very short period of time. As of October 2009, the aggregate GDP of China, Korea, Japan, Mongolia and Russia accounts for onefifth of the global GDP, which is 1.7 times of growth compared to 10 years ago. The expansion of Northeast Asian economies has become a new global trend and is expected to develop further. Meanwhile, the APEC 2012 summit will be held in Russia and the huge investment into development projects related to the event is expected to produce ripple effects on Northeast Asian economies. In China, the Tumen River Area Development Programme became a national project under which a large-scale infrastructure improvement is forthcoming. Also, Gangwon-do Province of Korea became a strong candidate to host the 2018 Winter Olympics and winning the bid would bring profound economic benefits. Against this backdrop, Tottori, as the gateway to Northeast Asia,has pushed for improvement of transport infrastructure with an objective to become a transportation hub of west Japan and Northeast Asia. Since June 2009, South Korean shipping line DBS Cruise Ferry has opened regular runs out of the Korean city of Donghae to Russias Vladivostok and to the Japanese port of Sakaiminato, Tottoris gateway to the sea.as designated a national principal port in August 2010, Sakaiminato will be able to strengthen its harbor function. Furthermore, we participated in the GTI (Greater Tumen Initiative) Transport Board held in June 2010, where the Korea-Russia-Japan Ferry route was included in the GTI Transport Cooperation Program. Tottori will organize GTI Transport Expert Seminar in December to discuss various issues aimed at achieving GTIs goal of promoting Northeast Asian transport corridors and enhancing human and material exchange, including how to make the best use of the ferry route. Also, Yonago Kitaro Airport,which provides direct flights to Haneda (Tokyo) and Incheon Airport, an international hub airport in Korea, is another important transport infrastructure enhancing regional connectivity in NEA. Thanks to the extension of the runway and direct connection to the train station, the flight distance, transportation capacity and convenience have been remarkably improved. Moreover, the opening of the toll-free Tottori Expresswayin March has greatly shortened the travel time from Tottori to the Kansai area, which is second only to the Greater Tokyo region in economic size. I hope you may find opportunity to visit our prefecture, which has plenty of beautiful hot springs, find cuisines, picturesque landscapes, and the shooting place of the Korean TV drama Athena- Goddess of Warcoming this winter. We would like to intensify our friendship with each region, contributing to the enhancement of exchange and consistent growth of NEA. Let us join hands in realizing a shared future of prosperity through pioneering the Great Age of Exchange in Northeast Asiatogether. I wish all the best and success for you and your region. 4

5 The Association of North East Asia Regional Governments - NEAR This Month NEAR Activities The 2010 NEAR General Assembly held in Gyeonggi-do The 8 th NEAR General Assembly was held on October in Gyeonggi-do Province, Korea under the theme of "Shared Prosperity through Cooperation." In his congratulatory remarks,vice Minister Kak-soo Shin of the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said the government would provide full support for NEAR activities, while Chairman Choong-Young Ahn of the Presidential Committee on Regulatory Reform emphasized the role of regional governments in trans-border cooperation for the development of Northeast Asia. "Instead of a top-down approach led by central governments, a bottom-up approach focused on economic cooperation between regional governments can lead the drive to establish a Northeast Asian community, which depends on heads of regional governments' strong vision and the capacity to translate the vision into action, "he said. A total of 198 representatives of 46 regional governments from five countries attended the biennial gathering of NEAR members; the agenda and decisions are as follows: Agenda and Decisions of the 8 th General Assembly Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region's (China) application to host the 9 th NEAR General Assembly in 2012 Ningxia was decided as the host for the General Assembly in Revision of NEAR Charter - Article 7 (Executives) (1) The General Assembly shall designate one person as the chair who represents the Association. The head of the regional government, which holds the General Assembly, shall ex officio become the chair of the General Assembly. The Chair's term of office ends on the last day of the General Assembly. - Article 20 (Language) The Charter shall be written in English and in the languages of the countries where the member regions belong. Original copies of which shall be kept at the archive of the Secretariat and copies of which shall be kept by each member. - Appendix : Regulations on Establishment and Operation of Sub-Committee of the Association of North East Asia Regional Governments (1) ---- (2) ---- (3) ---- (4) ---- (5) ---- (6) ---- (7) ---- (8) ---- (9) Sub-Committee on Energy & Climate Change (10) Sub-Committee on Women & Children (11) Sub- Committee on Mineral Resources Development & Coordination Revision of NEAR Charter approved. Proposal on the Timetable for the Introduction of the Membership Fee System - In accordance with the decision of the 7 th General Assembly(September 2008, Shandong Province) on the proposal submitted by Khabarovsk Territory, the issue on the introduction of membership fee was delegated to the Secretariat. The proposal following the decision of the 2009 Working Committee which stipulates, "At least the timing for the introduction of the membership fee system will be decided" was thrown out. The issue will be discussed when resubmitted at the 2011 Working Committee. 5

6 - NEAR This Month - The 2009 Working Committee (September, Gyeonggi-do Province) decided to submit the agenda item on the "timing for the introduction of the membership fee system" to the 2010 General Assembly. Admission of new members Russia (1): Kemerovo Region Kemerovo region was officially admitted as a new member. Introduction of Associate Membership - Membership is limited to wide-areaunit regional governments of six Northeast Asian countries - Medium-size-unit regions such as Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture desire to join NEAR membership - The introduction aims to expand NEAR membership beyond Northeast Asia to the regional governments of Central Asia. Approved. Revision of NEAR Charter on the 1. Decision was made to amend the members of the Sub-Committee stipulation - More regions, regardless of their 2. The revision of Clause 6 (Participation) membership status at each Sub- of theregulations on Establishment Committee, participate in various Sub- and Operation of Sub-Committees of Committee meetings, as more regions the Association of North East Asia join NEAR and the Sub-Committee Regional Governmentswill be activities are brought into full operation submitted to the next Working - Clause 2 of the Regulations on Esta Committee blishment and Operation of Sub- Committees of the Association of North East Asia Regional Governments stipulates, Each Coordinatorshall notify the Working Committee of any changes in the members of the Sub- Committee.This limits the scope of activities by non-members at each Sub- Committee - Clause 2 should be amended so that any member willing to participate in the 11 Sub-Committees can do so Operation of the Co-Coordinator System - It is stipulated that expenses for the operation of each Sub-Committee shall be borne by the coordinator. The introduction of the Co-Coordinator Systemwill help relieve the financial burden. - At the request by the incumbent coordinator region, the concerned Sub- Committee can be operated under the Co- Coordinator System in order to promote the role and function of the Sub-Committee It was decided that the Sub-Committee will be operated by Co-Coordinator System at the request of the incumbent coordinator region 6

7 The Association of North East Asia Regional Governments What Happened in the 2010 NEAR General Assembly Moon-Soo Kim, Governor of Gyeonggi-do Province and Chair of the 8 th General Assembly and Hae-DooLee, Secretary General Vice President Xiaobin Liu of Ningxia Regional People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries received the NEAR flag from Chair Moon-Soo Kim Congratulatory performance of Korean traditional dance Vladimir Kuchuk, Advisor to the Governor of Khabarovsk Territory gives congratulatory remarks The 8th NEAR General Assembly Cultural tour to Korean Volk Village Heads of delegations Participants of the industrial tour watches 3D TV at Samsung Electronics The 2 nd Sub-Committee on Tourism : NEAR Members Discuss How to Promote Low-carbonTourism The 2 nd NEAR Sub-Committee on Tourism was held From 23 to 27 October in Jiaozuo city, Henan Province (China) under the theme of "Low-carbon Tourism Starts from Northeast Asia." On 24 October, the conference officially opened with a spectacular scene where a large group of bicycle riders, the Jiaozuo City Bicycle Club members, left for Mt. Yuntaishan. After the opening ceremony, officials from 21 NEAR member regions and representatives of the tourism sector gathered at the Jiaozuo's Conference Centre to exchange knowledge and experience on low-carbon tourism. Also joining the Yuntaishan International Tourism Festival, held back-to-back with the Sub-Committee, participants climbed Mt. Yuntaishan and enhanced understanding on green, responsible tourism. As the opening of the Sub-Committee on Tourism was declared, members of the Jiaozuo Bicycle Club left for Mt. Yuntaishan The opening ceremony of the 2 nd Tourism Sub-Committee 7

8 - NEAR This Month Secretariat News The 2010 NEAR International Economic Forum was held on October in Gyeongju, Korea, organized by the NEAR Secretariat in an effort to diagnose where we are in addressing climate change, global disasters, ecological degradation among other environmental issues and what we should do to promote green growth and green energy development as countermeasures to resolve those problems. Following the keynote speech titled, "Regional Collaboration on Green Growth in Northeast Asia" by Hyung-Kook Kim, Former Chairman of the Korean Presidential Committee on Green Growth, presentations were made by renowned environment experts from five Northeast Asian countries (China, Japan, Korea, Mongolia and Russia) as well as international organizations including UNESCAP and UNDP-GTI(presentation material available at The forum agenda is as follows: Keynote Speech Hyung-Kook Kim (Former Chairman, Presidential Committee on Green Growth, ROK) Plenary Session1: Climate Change and Global Disaster Yeon-Sung, Shin (Ambassador for Climate Change, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, ROK) "Prospects of Climate Change Negotiations" Tetsuro Fujitsuka (President, Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research, Japan) "Climate Change and Disaster" Plenary Session 2: Green Growth and Clean Energy Plenary Session 3: World Environment al Issues and Change of Ecosystem Yong Ho Choi (Chair, Green Growth Committee of Gyeongsangbukdo Province, ROK) "Green Growth and Clean Energy in Northeast Asia" Ye Qi (Cheung Kong Professor, Tsinghua University School of Public Policy and Management Director of the Climate Policy Institute at Tsinghua, China) "Low-carbon Development and Shift in China's Economy" Rukavishnikov V. S. (Director, Angarsk Branch of East-Siberian Scientific Centre of Medical Ecology, Siberian Department, Russian Academy of Medical Science, Russia) "Economic Issues and Threat to Public Health from Forest Fires" Avirmed Ayurzana (Director, Green Belt National Program of the Mongolian Government) "Mongolia's Environmental Issues and Ecological Changes" Special Session Rae Kwon Chung (Director, Environment and Sustainable Development Division of UNESCAP) "The Future of Green Growth in the Asia Pacific Region" Nataliya Yacheistova (Director, UNDP-GTI ) "Green Growth in Northeast Asia and the Role of GTI" Round Table Speakers and Audience (Moderator : Secretary General Lee Hae Doo) 8

9 The Association of North East Asia Regional Governments Delegations of NEAR members Secretary General Hae-Doo Lee Yeon-Sung, Shin, Ambassador for Climate Change, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, ROK Tetsuro Fujitsuka, President, Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research, Japan Yong Ho Choi, Chair, Green Growth Committee of Gyeongsangbuk-do Province, ROK Ye Qi, Director of the Climate Policy Institute at Tsinghua Univ., China Rukavishnikov V. S., Director, Angarsk Branch of East-Siberian Scientific Centre of Medical Ecology, Russia Avirmed Ayurzana, Director, Green Belt National Program of the Mongolian Government Rae Kwon Chung, Director, Environment and Sustainable Development Division of UNESCAP NataliyaYacheistova, Director, UNDP-GTI On November, at the invitation by President Michèle Sabban of the Assembly of European Region (AER), Secretary General Hae-Doo Lee visited Istanbul, Turkey to attend the AER General Assembly which marked its 25th anniversary and to discuss AER-NEAR cooperation. At the meeting with AER Secretary General Klaus Klipp and Senior Policy Coordinators in Economy & Regional Development and Interregional Cooperation, he suggested to launch an AER-NEAR Joint Forum as a first step of partnership. Also discussed were how to encourage cooperation between innovative companies for sustainable growth and address youth unemployment. Both parties agreed that an AER delegation including Mr. Klipp and Ms. Sabban, who was reelected as AER President for a second term of office at this General Assembly, would visit NEAR Secretariat in Gyeongsangbuk-do Province early next year to follow-up the discussion on the Joint Forum. Meanwhile, Mr. Lee made presentation on NEAR at the AER Bureau Meeting to raise the profile and understanding on NEAR and to consolidate foundation of cooperation between the two organizations. Also, at the exhibition stand installed outside of the conference hall, brochures and pamphlets on NEAR activities were From left, AER Secretary General Klaus Klipp, President Michèle Sabban and NEAR Secretary General Hae-Doo Lee Mr. Lee makes presentation at the AER Bureau Meeting NEAR Secretariat staffs hand out brochures to AER representatives Together with AER Secretariat delegation 9

10 - NEAR This Month handed out to participants representing AER members. The visit brought NEAR Secretariat another big stride closer to achieving a "New Millennium Silk Road" connecting the East and the West by establishing a channel of cooperation with AER, one of the powerful international organizations in Europe as well as those in the Asia-Pacific region, including UNESCAP, UNDP-GTI. Established in June 1985, AER (Assembly of European Regions) brings together over 270 regions from 33 countries across Europe. AER's General Secretariat is based in Strasbourg, while AER offices are also located in Brussels and Alba Iulia. NEAR Member News Hunan Province China On October 27, Hunan Province and Gangwon-do Province (ROK) signed a Memorandum of Intent on Cooperation in Changsha city. The signing ceremony was attended by Hunan Governor Xu Shousheng and his counterpart Kwang-Jae Lee of Gangwon-do along with high-level officials, including Xiao Xiangqing, Director General of the Hunan Foreign Affairs Office and Joong-Hoon Choi, Director of the International Cooperation Department of Gangwon-do. "Hunan is accelerating its efforts in the transformation of economic structure and development pattern, with priorities put on balanced development between cities and rural areas, improvement of citizen's quality of life, guarantee of the minimum standard of living, expansion of foreign relations and environment-friendly green growth," said Governor Xu Shousheng in the press conference. He also hoped that Hunan could learn the experience on such fields as emerging industries of strategic importance and foreign relations from Gangwon-do and South Korea and carry out mutually beneficial economic and trade cooperation in order to bring substantive benefits to both peoples. Meanwhile, Governor Kwang-Jae Lee vowed to strengthen the friendship between the two regions, enhance mutual understanding and promote cooperation in various fields. 10

11 The Association of North East Asia Regional Governments Shandong Province - China The 2010 AFC U-19 Championship was held on 3-17 October in Zibo, Shandong Province. Zibo, well known as the historical state of Qi, is the birth place of ancient football Cuju, which according to the FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter, was the earliest form of the sport. The 16-team tournament was staged at the Zibo Sports Stadium for 15 days where Asian countries matched their football skills and experience. The DPRK men football players took the first place by beating the Australian team in its finals. Zibo, the first Chinese city ever to host the U-19 Championship Finals made a successful debut to modern football and proved itself as one of the best stages for world sports. Aomori Prefecture - Japan On 4 December 2010, the Tohoku Shinkansen will start full operation opening the section between Tokyo and Shin-Aomori Stations (15 round trips daily), Sendai and Shin-Aomori (1 round trip) and Morioka and Shin-Aomori stations (1 round trip). The new Hayate model of bullet train is composed of 10 cars (green car: 51 seats, ordinary cars: 763 seats). Thanks to the extension, passengers will be able to travel between Tokyo and Shin- Aomori in 3 hours and 20 minutes, naturally making access to the metropolitan area more convenient. 11

12 - NEAR This Month Shimane Prefecture - Japan 2012 marks the 1300th anniversary of the publication of Japan's oldest historical book, the Kojiki. The Kojiki is a compilation of many mythological stories related to the creation of Japan and around a third of these stories take place in the Izumo region in Shimane Prefecture. It also details how the prefecture lies on the Japan Sea facing the continent and demonstrates the deep cultural and economic connections the region held with China and the Korean peninsula in the past. There are a vast number of historical sites and famous locations that demonstrate the region's prosperity at the time, such as Izumo Taisha Grand Shrine, said to be the tallest building in Japan during the 10th century. In Shimane Prefecture, various events and activities are planned from now in cooperation with regions that have connections to the Kojiki under a campaign titled "The country of the Gods Shimane 1300th anniversary of the Kojiki" which invites everybody from across Japan and abroad to celebrate this historical chance and discover the traditional wonders, history and culture of Shimane handed down from the time of the Gods. Gyeongsangbuk-do Province - Korea The World Green Energy Forum, which aims to develop future growth engine for low carbon green growth as a sustainable strategy, was held on November in Gyeongju City, Gyeongsangbuk-do Province under the theme, "The Future of the Earth: Green Energy, Green Revolution." The forum was joined by more than 500 green energy officials from home and abroad, among whom were keynote speakers including Chairman Soo-gil Yang of the Korean Presidential Committee on Green Growth, Minister Mauri Pekkarinen of the Finnish Ministry of Economic Affairs and Uwe Wissenbach, the acting head of the EU delegation to Korea. Government organizations, domestic and foreign universities, research centers, academic institutions and business leaders gathered to discuss how to improve technological policies of green energy industry such as solar, smart grid, wind power, atomic power and fuel cell in an effort to preempt climate change and lead the green growth. 12

13 The Association of North East Asia Regional Governments Uvs Province - Mongolia From 22 nd to 24 th September Colonel Koret skii. V.A, a plenipotentiary border representative of Kizil part of the Russian Federation visited Uvs Province to discuss cross-border issues with plenipotentiary border representatives of Uvs, Bayan-Ulgii, Zavhan and Hovsugul provinces of Mongolia. At the meeting, each party agreed to solve the issues, including livestock robbery and border conflicts through close cooperation and reaffirmed willingness to promote ties in various fields. Meanwhile, A.F. Lobanov, the Minister of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Tyva, Russia, visited Uvs province with vice ministers to meet with the heads of police departments from Uvs, Zavhan and Bayan-Ulgii provinces and to discuss how to fight cross-border livestock robbery and prevent border disputes. Attended also by the general consul of Mongolia in Tyva, representatives of legal organizations, and police officers in the border areas, the meeting ended with an agreement on border cooperation between both parties. Uvs, which is located in the western region of Mongolia, borders the Republic of Tyva, Russian Federation along 575 kilometers with which it has enjoyed a long time friendly relationship. Krasnoyarsk Territory - Russia On October 22, a Krasnoyarsk promotion event was staged at the World Pavilion of the EXPO 2010 Shanghai. Representatives of Heilonjiang and Lioning Provinces, Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region and cities of Beijing, Heihe, Harbin, and Daqing visited the promotion booth among whom business leaders, in particular, expressed keen interest in mutual cooperation. At the event, the "Krasnoyarsk synthetic rubber enterprise" signed MOUs with partner companies with which it has constant partnerships in the field of chemical industry and the Krasnoyarks National College of Education with its several Chinese counterparts. Krasnoyarsk will follow-up the diaologue and cooperation with Chinese partners at the Krasnoyarsk Economic Forum to be held on February next year. 13

14 - Feature Report Feature Report The Five Treasures of Ningxia Ningxia(full name Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, the host of the 9 th NEAR General Assembly)is a Hui autonomous region of China, located on the northwest Loess highland, and the Yellow River flows through a vast area of its land. The natural environment has produced unique and special agriculture and livestock products, among which are the" Five Treasures of Ningxia, "namely : the fruit of Chinese wolfberry in red, the licorice root in yellow, the Helan stone in blue, the Tan-sheepskin in white and the Taixi coal in black. The fruit of Chinese Wolfberry a medicinal herb like the "business card" of Ningxia The red wolfberry fruit is a precious Chinese medicinal herb. The Wolfberry fruit produced in Ningxia, which is of thin skin, thick meat and sweet taste with a sparkling bright color, is world-famous for its outstanding quality. Chinese traditional medicine uses the fruit and the Lycium root bark (called dìg pí) to treat illnesses. It is believed to be able to clean the lungs, brighten the eyes, nourish the liver, strengthen the kidney, and treat dizziness and lumbago. It also contains anticancer and liver nourishing elements. The root bark relieves consumptive fever and treats hemoptysis. Chinese people brew liquor, make extracts or cakes out of them or put them into soup. The Licorice Root is one of the important sources of income for rural residents in west China Titled the yellow treasure, licorice root is one of the important sources of income in Ningxia. It is a good medicine for curing coughs and most commonly used mediating medicaments. Licorice root from Ningxia is famous for its red skin, fine and close grain, substance, richness in powder, smooth stem, fresh appearance and fine process, called Xizheng-brand Licorice Roots in international markets. It can relieve spasm and detoxicate, invigorate the spleen and replenish qi, and moisten the lungs. 14

15 The Association of North East Asia Regional Governments The Helan Stone, a mysterious treasure from 1.3 years ago The famous Helan stone is the blue treasure of Ningxia. Helan stones are discovered at the precipices in Helan Mountain with an elevation of about 2,600 m. They are a kind of sedimentary rock created by deposited sediments of sand and soil from 1.3 billion years ago. What is particular about them along with the fine texture and solidity is its natural elegance -- pea green dots scatter on the deep purple base showing strength and softness. The Tan-Sheepskin is titled the White Treasure. The fur of a 35 to 40 days old Tanyang lamb is the softest, whitest and the most lustrous. The hair, fine and glossy, was called "Jiudaowan," which means it has as many as nine wary curves. Having the advantages of being light, warm-keeping, elegant and poised, the fur coat made from Tanyang lambskin has long become a traditional export commodity of China. Taixi Coal, a rare type of coal in the world protected by law The Tan-Sheepskin, "the white treasure," develops a kind of its own in fur coat around the world Taixi coal, the black treasure of Ningxia, is hailed as "the King of the coal" and can only be found in Ningxia, China and Halong Bay, Vietnam. Best known for burning with high heat and little ash, sulphur and phosphorus, Taixi coal enjoys high prices and popularity in the international market. 15

16 - NEAR Member Tour NEAR Member Tour Bayankhongor Province: Blueland of GOBI and HANGAI Governor Amar Sanar of Bayankhongor Province, Mongolia 16

17 The Association of North East Asia Regional Governments Distinguished Readers, Today, this is the moment of realizing our dream to introduce you to our province through the NEAR News, an official messenger of NEAR which delivers news and shares information among members. First of all, on behalf of the 82 thousand residents of Bayankhongor Province, I extend my warmest greetings to all member regional governments of Northeast Asian countries. Since its establishment, NEAR has made considerable contribution for the co-prosperity of North East Asia and the harmony of the world. Such achievements are thanks to the consistent efforts by member organizations to maintain close relationship among other. I appreciate we are one of the permanent members of NEAR, and will go hand-in-hand with you for the shared co-prosperity in the future. I sincerely hope that we could promote regional cooperation and exchange focused on agriculture, tourism and mining, which are the most vigorous sectors of Bayankhongor Province. Once again, let me reiterate our commitment to close cooperation and I wish all the best to the NEAR news readers. Governor of Bayankhongor Province, Mongolia. Provincial Emblem Overview Bayankhongor province was established in The province is one of the biggest provinces of Mongolia, occupying 116,000 km 2. Located in the central-western part of Mongolia, it borders Uvurkhangai, Umnugobi, Gobi-Altai, Zavkhan, Arkhangai provinces and the People s Republic of China (140km) to the south. The province has a population of 82,000 people, administratively divided into 20 soums and 1 village. Nature and Geography The province encompasses three major geographical zones including the northern forest zone(hangai), the central steppe zone and the awe-inspiring Gobi desert zone and is made up of two climate zones. The north is marked by Hangaimountain ranges, rivers, ravines and springs, while the central steppe is spotted with large salt-water lakes, shrubs, and the Altai Mountain Range. The beautiful nature and rare animals living in it leaves unforgettable impression on every visitor to the province. 17

18 - NEAR Member Tour Uul uurhai-mining Mazaalai (Gobi bear) Stone writing at Bichigt Had located in Bayan Lig soum Dinosaur found in Bayankhongor Province White Springs, Bayan-Govi soum Gurvanbulag Blue Lake Economy The principal sectors of Bayakhongor are agriculture, tourism and mining. The province has more than 2.6 million livestocks and abundant livestock raw materials, also rich in mineral resources such as gold, copper, molybdenum, coal, and etc. Many of the resources have been detected and explored, but still remains to be mined. Foreign Relations The provincial foriegn relations has developed rapidly since Today Bayakhongor established relationship with over 10 foreign countries, including Kabansky district of the Republic of Buryatia, Kemerovo Region of Russia, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China, and Oita Perfecture of Japan. As joining the membership of NEAR in 2006, Bayakhongor has wider opportunities to broaden and deepen foreign relationship. Tourism-1. Rare Animals in Gobi Desert There are things to see in Bayankhongor! That's why you're coming! Most of Bayankhongor's attractions are free, though places like the museums do cost money. In the Gobi there are many rare animals to see including the famous Gobi Bear and wild Bactarian Camels. Tourism-2. Gurvanbulag Blue Lake There are many lakes in Bayankhongor that are primarily located in either the Hangai Mountain Range or are a part of the "Valley of Lakes" in the central steppe zone. The Hangai lakes include the Blue lake of Gurvanbulag, which has an island in the center to the Binderyi Blue Lake. The "Valley of Lakes" includes Buun Tsagaan and Orog Nuur famous for bird life. These shallow and soucer-shaped lakes are at the delta of 18

19 The Association of North East Asia Regional Governments Maitreya procession called "Maidar ergeh" rivers including the Baidrag and Tuin Rivers, and since there are no outlets, they contain much salt. Tourism-3. Dinosaur and Other Fossil Sites There are some world renowned dinosaur and fossil sites located in Bayankhongor including Bugiin Tsav and Nogoon Tsav. These sites have yielded a trove of unique fossils. Some of the discoveries have helped shed light on dinosaur evolution while others have helped explain the climactic conditions of previous eras. Besides fossils there are also many examples of petrified wood in the area. In addition, many of the finds from Bayankhongor have made it to Ulaanbaatar museums and other international museums where they can be viewed. Tourism-4. White Springs There are some things in Bayankhongor that defy classification, so we'll group them all into "Other." The White Springs are one of such things. There are many imprints on rocks of human or alien-like figures. Many of the features are characteristically human such as 2 arms, 2 legs and a head. However, some features are alien such as the very large palms or ears. Much more research needs to be done to figure out how and when these structures were made. Tourism-5. Stone and Cave Drawings Some of the most interesting sites in Bayankhongor are the stone and cave drawings. Some of these drawings depict animals and people and thus possibly indicate that people in Mongolia have been herding for millennia, providing historical perspective on a nomadic lifestyle that leaves few relics. These sites include the White Crystal Cave and Bichigt Had. Besides those sites, there have also been more recent drawings including the controversial drawings of the Buddha in Galuut's Mandal Soum that were made as repentance for a crime. 19

20 Tel : ~20, Fax : neargov@hotmail.co.kr 3F, Pohang TP, 601 Jligok-dong, Nam-gu, Pohang City, Gyeongbuk, Republic of Korea, Tel : ~20, Fax : neargov@hotmail.co.kr The Association of North East Asia Regional Governments