This May, a delegation from Dundgovi Province in Mongolia will travel to Colorado—continuing a relationship that spans more than three decades and reflects one of the most enduring international partnerships in the American West.
Coordinated on the U.S. side by Jim Wagenlander, Chair of the Ulaanbaatar–Denver Sister Cities Committee and Honorary Consul of Mongolia, the visit represents both a milestone and a renewal. The Ulaanbaatar–Denver sister cities relationship marks its 25th anniversary this year, but its roots extend back even further—to 1991, when the Colorado Mongolia Project first helped establish connections between Colorado and Mongolia.
By 2001, those ties were formally recognized and expanded through an agreement between the Prime Minister of Mongolia and the mayors of Ulaanbaatar and Denver. Since then, a steady rhythm of exchanges—delegations, student programs, and cultural initiatives—has built a foundation of trust and mutual understanding between the people of Mongolia, Colorado, and the United States
A Relationship Grounded in People and Place
For more than 25 years, Colorado’s connection to Dundgovi has grown through direct, person-to-person engagement. Delegations organized through Denver Sister Cities International have regularly traveled to the region, fostering relationships that go far beyond formal diplomacy.
These exchanges have included:
- Student programs with Ocean Knowledge School
- Ongoing collaboration with leaders in Mandalgovi and across Dundgovi
- Participation in Naadam, Mongolia’s national festival
- Visits to schools and local communities
- Cultural and reconciliation ceremonies at historic Buddhist temple sites
Community-driven initiatives have also played a vital role. Programs such as Colorado Lions Club vision care efforts have brought tangible support while deepening connections between communities.
A Shared Vision Across Generations
A central figure in this relationship was the late Narantsatsralt—former Mayor of Ulaanbaatar and later Prime Minister of Mongolia—whose friendship with Wagenlander helped shape the early vision of linking Mongolia’s steppe and Gobi regions with the American West.
Narantsatsralt’s personal commitment to hosting Colorado delegations in his home province of Dundgovi created a lasting bridge between regions that, despite being continents apart, share striking similarities in landscape, culture, and way of life.
That legacy continues today through the leadership of his son, Soyombo, and through the ongoing commitment of both Mongolian and Colorado partners.
Looking Ahead: Dundgovi in Colorado
The upcoming delegation will include time in Denver for orientation and meetings with civic and community leaders. Importantly, the visit will also extend beyond the city—engaging with rural Colorado communities whose agricultural traditions and open landscapes closely mirror those of Dundgovi.
These shared characteristics create a powerful foundation for the next phase of the relationship—one focused not only on cultural exchange, but on regional collaboration, mutual learning, and long-term partnership.
As Wagenlander notes, this visit continues a longstanding tradition of official exchanges—one that reflects both continuity and growth in a relationship that has already shaped thousands of lives.
A Living Partnership
More than an anniversary, this moment is a reminder: sister city relationships are not symbolic—they are lived.
They are built in classrooms and community centers, across shared meals and long journeys, through music, culture, and conversation. And they endure because people continue to invest in them.
As Dundgovi comes to Colorado this May, it carries with it not just history—but the promise of what comes next.
