Sekhee & Sheveekhuren Border Crossing

Important Note: A Restricted Commercial Border

The border crossing at Sekhee in the South Gobi Province of Mongolia, which connects to the Chinese port of Sheveekhuren in Inner Mongolia, is one of the largest and most important commercial gateways between the two countries. However, it is not an international crossing for foreign tourists. This is a highly specialized land port, almost entirely dedicated to the export of coal from the massive mines of the South Gobi to China. It is a place of immense industrial scale, a constant, 24-hour river of enormous coal trucks. This guide is for geopolitical and economic context only. It is not possible for a foreign tourist to legally cross the border here.

The Sheveekhuren-Sekhee Crossing: The Great Gobi Coal Route

This border crossing is a phenomenon of the 21st century. It is located in the heart of the Gobi Desert, one of the most remote and sparsely populated regions on earth. The crossing exists for one reason: to serve the colossal Tavan Tolgoi and Oyu Tolgoi mining projects in the South Gobi of Mongolia, which contain some of the world’s largest untapped deposits of coking coal and copper. The Sheveekhuren-Sekhee crossing is the main logistical artery for these mines, the primary point where the raw materials are transported into China for processing and use in its steel industry. The landscape is a stark, flat, and windswept desert, but the border itself is a massive industrial complex. The defining feature is the queue of coal trucks, which can sometimes stretch for over 100 kilometers into the Mongolian desert, a waiting line of drivers that can last for weeks. The atmosphere is one of heavy industry, dust, and the relentless, grinding motion of a massive supply chain.

A History Written in Coal

For almost all of history, this part of the Gobi was an empty quarter, a place of nomadic herders and dinosaur fossils. There was no border crossing here. The history of this crossing began with the global commodities boom of the early 2000s and China’s insatiable demand for raw materials. The massive mining projects in the South Gobi were developed with the sole purpose of supplying the Chinese market. The Sheveekhuren-Sekhee border was created from scratch to be the main export valve. It is a border that was not shaped by ancient history, culture, or politics in the traditional sense, but by the modern forces of global capitalism and industrial geology. Its development is a powerful symbol of Mongolia’s resource-dependent economy and its deep, complex, and often fraught relationship with its southern neighbor. The story of this border is the story of the Mongolian mining boom, with all of its immense opportunities and its profound social and environmental challenges. It is a place where the fate of the Mongolian economy is decided every day by the price of coal.

Border Procedures: For Trucks Only

As this is not an international crossing for foreigners, there are no procedures for tourists. The crossing is a designated bilateral commercial port, and its procedures are designed exclusively for processing thousands of trucks per day.

The Process for Commercial Freight: The process is a highly organized, industrial-scale logistical operation. Truck drivers, who are almost exclusively Mongolian and Chinese nationals, must have special permits and commercial documents. The trucks are weighed and their cargo inspected. The customs and immigration procedures are streamlined for this specific type of traffic. The Chinese have built a massive, modern port facility at Sheveekhuren to handle this flow. The entire system is designed for bulk cargo, not for individual travelers.

For a foreign traveler, there is no way to get a legal entry or exit stamp at this location. The facilities are not equipped to handle international passports or visas. Any foreigner arriving in this remote, high-security area would be immediately identified and turned away or detained. This is not a legal or viable route for any form of tourism.

The Regional Context: The South Gobi Mining Zone

The crossing is located in the Umnugovi (South Gobi) Aimag of Mongolia. This is the heart of the country’s mining industry. The landscape is a stark desert, but it is now dominated by the massive open-pit mines, the new towns built to house the workers, and the new paved roads built to transport the coal. The environmental and social impact of this rapid industrialization on the traditional nomadic culture and the fragile desert ecosystem is a subject of intense debate within Mongolia. On the Chinese side, the border is in the Alxa League of Inner Mongolia, also a remote desert region. The road from the border connects to the industrial cities of northern China. The entire region is a dedicated industrial corridor. The journey to this border from either Ulaanbaatar or a major Chinese city is a long one, through a remote and harsh landscape. It is a journey into the industrial heart of the modern Gobi.

Final Contextual Note: A Border of Black Gold

The Sheveekhuren-Sekhee crossing is a powerful symbol of the 21st-century global economy. It is a place where the vast mineral wealth of one country is physically connected to the industrial might of another. It is a border of immense economic importance, but it is not a place for people in the traditional sense. For the overland traveler, it is firmly off-limits. Any journey between Mongolia and China must be made through the designated international crossing at Zamiin-Uud-Erenhot. The great Gobi coal route remains a fascinating phenomenon to be understood from afar, a stark and powerful illustration of how the global demand for resources can create massive new infrastructure in the most remote and inhospitable corners of the planet.