Maps of Movies

Close to Eden (Urga) (1991)

Where Close to Eden (Urga) says it takes place, and where it was really shot.

A Russian trucker meets a Mongolian herder in Inner Mongolia, and the sources name only the grassland, not a single filming spot

Scenes and places

The truck that rolls into the river (1991)

Sergei, a Russian truck driver falling asleep at the wheel, stops after a close call and wanders off to shake himself awake. He spots what looks like a corpse and bolts back, driving his truck into the river in his haste.

Set in Steppe road and river — A road across the Inner Mongolian grassland where the Russian driver stops to wake himself up.

Open steppe in Inner Mongolia, the grassland border region of China and Mongolia.

Filmed at Hulunbuir grassland, Inner Mongolia (Hulunbuir grassland, Inner Mongolia, China) — Region-level point only. The film is shot on the Hulunbuir grassland, but the exact road and river are not given in any page opened. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there:

Gombo's yurt on the steppe (1991)

Gombo, a Mongolian shepherd, lives in a yurt with his wife, three children and mother. His wish for another child troubles his wife, because a fourth child would break Chinese law.

Set in Gombo's yurt — The family's yurt, home to Gombo, his wife, three children and his mother.

A felt-covered Mongolian tent, the traditional herder home on the grassland.

Filmed at Hulunbuir grassland, Inner Mongolia (Hulunbuir grassland, Inner Mongolia, China) — Region-level point only. The yurt location is not given in any page opened. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there:

Sergei at the family's sheep dinner (1991)

Gombo's family rescues Sergei and takes him in. Sergei, horrified, watches them slaughter and cook a sheep, then courageously eats the meat and the broth. Gombo's daughter plays the accordion while Sergei goes quiet remembering the war.

Set in Yard in front of the yurt — The yard where the family slaughters and cooks a sheep for their guest.

A herder's camp where guests are fed from the flock.

Filmed at Hulunbuir grassland, Inner Mongolia (Hulunbuir grassland, Inner Mongolia, China) — Region-level point only. The yard location is not given in any page opened. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there:

Gombo and Sergei in the nearest town (1991)

Gombo and Sergei go into the nearest town, where Gombo is supposed to buy condoms. Instead he wanders the streets while Sergei visits his girlfriend.

Set in Nearest town — The town the two men drive into, named as Hulunbuir in the French plot summary.

A Chinese border-region city where Mongolian herders, Han Chinese and Russians mix.

Filmed at Hailar district, Hulunbuir (Hulunbuir grassland, Inner Mongolia, China) — Region-level guess only. One plot summary names the town as Hulunbuir; no page says the street scenes were shot in Hailar. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there:

The corridor outside Sergei's room (1991)

Sergei spends time with his girlfriend in a room whose corridor is crowded by her young son, who has to wait outside. Gombo's drunk, horse-riding relative rides through the hallway, peeks over the door and chuckles.

Set in Hotel corridor in town — A corridor in town where Gombo's odd relative on horseback rides past the couple's door.

The nightclub and Sergei's song (1991)

Gombo, Sergei and a friend meet at a nightclub. Sergei, a former army bandsman, gets drunk, convinces the band to play "On the Hills of Manchuria" and sings along. He is arrested and bailed out of jail by Gombo's uncle who lives in the city.

Set in Town nightclub — A nightclub where Sergei talks the band into playing the song tattooed on his back.

Gombo's dream on the road home (1991)

Gombo heads home with a bicycle and a TV. He stops to eat, falls asleep and dreams that his horse-riding relative is Genghis Khan and his wife the Khan's wife.

Set in Roadside stop on the way home — Where Gombo stops to eat on the way home, with a bicycle and a TV bought in town.

The urga on the open steppe (1991)

At home the family reacts in their own ways to the TV, the bicycle and the packaging. Gombo then follows his wife out of the yurt onto the open steppe, carrying an urga, the lasso pole herders use to catch animals.

Set in Open steppe near the yurt — The grassland where the film's title object, the urga, is planted.

The urga is a long pole with a lasso loop, used by herders to catch horses and sheep.

Filmed at Hulunbuir grassland, Inner Mongolia (Hulunbuir grassland, Inner Mongolia, China) — Region-level point only. The exact spot on the grassland is not given in any page opened. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there:

Characters

• Gombo — A Mongolian shepherd who lives in a yurt in Inner Mongolia with his wife, three children and mother.
• Sergei — A Russian truck driver, a former army bandsman, who drives into a river and is taken in by Gombo's family.
• Pagma — Gombo's wife, uneasy about having a fourth child under Chinese law.