Cherry blossom, commonly known by its Japanese name – sakura, has begun blooming in Mongolian Gobi desert earlier this May. It is a poignant  reminder that life is almost overwhelmingly beautiful but that it is also tragically short.

Trees are rare in the Gobi – sakura even more so! A small number of plum and cherry trees grow at the Khamar Monastery, which is famous for being the 'energy centre' of Mongolia. In 2009-2010, Mongolian and Japanese youngsters belonging to the ‘My Club Online Community’ planted a sakura tree in Khamar Monastry. It is located in Khatanbulag district, Dornogovi Province, approximately 47 km south of the provincial capital Sainshand.

Khamar Monastery was founded in 1820 by Danzanravjaa, a charismatic 17-year-old lamaist monk of the Nyingma red hat school of Buddhism. Danzanravjaa chose the site of the monastery believing the surrounding area radiated with a spiritual energy fostered by the Gobi desert.  

If you want to view the 'Gobi Sakura', you had better be quick! There are several daily trains to Sainshand from Ulaanbaatar from where you can get a mini bus to the Khamar Monastery or negotiate with a local driver.