G is for Gates

Even Mongolians think the town of Hovd (or Khovd, with a silent K) about 1600 km (1000 miles) west of the capital Ulaanbaatar is remote. Yet the town is home to nearly 30,000 people, comprising over a dozen different ethnic groups and nationalities, many living according to their own cultural values and ways - including language, dress and housing.

In an earlier post I shared images of the national sport of wrestling in Hovd during the annual Naadam Festival. Today's photos will be more mundane: today you will see gates.

These people may be poor, dirt poor, but they are proud. And it seems to me that one very simple way they have to express their individuality is through the gates to their private inner courtyards. Just look at the colors and patterns. What do you think?

Mongolia, 2007

Here there the pale blue metal gate matches the wood ger door...

Beyond the gates is typically one ger and several stone structures...

The people of Hovd are among the most hospitable I have ever met. They readily opened their gates to let us in...

There were lots of smiling children around...

Pretty young faces...

And even a lively character - he wanted to sell us his theater coat...

I found all these gates on this one typical wide boulevard in the town of Hovd.

These gates are posted for ABC Wednesday where the letter of the week is G, as well as for Outdoor Wednesday. For more takes on the letter G or views of the outdoors, click the links.

Reflections in an Antique Market

It wasn't so great to explore an open air antique market in the rain, but it soon stopped, and when it did, I found reflections in the puddles and containers.  

This is one of several grand gates to the market:

Zhongshan, Guangdong, 2009

The Huacai Antique Market near Zhongshan is one I've visited several times over this past decade and it has, like most everything else in China, gotten both bigger and less authentic. Nonetheless, like any good flea market, there are delightful treasures of all sizes and at all prices to be found here, real and reproduced.

I like to rummage around places no one else goes. This is one of the many back alleys of this huge compound. I wish I could think of something to do with one of these old doors:

These stone pots would look fabulous in any garden.

 

Posted for Weekend Reflections. The link takes you to many other interesting reflections. You'll see a larger image if you click on the photo.