Mongolia's metamorphosis – in pictures

The Ger district of Ulan Bator, which is expanding to accommodate the increasing number of people moving to the capital city looking for employment Photograph: Paula Bronstein/Getty Images

A young boy plays in Sükhbaatar Square, Ulan Bator Photograph: Paula Bronstein/Getty Images

A young boy enjoying some recreation time in Sükhbaatar Square Photograph: Paula Bronstein/Getty Images

A worker gets ready to open the door for a ceremony at a wedding hall in Ulan Bator, where many couples turn up to get married on a special day in the lunar calendar Photograph: Paula Bronstein/Getty Images

A family poses in front of the Gandan monastery on a favoured day in the lunar calendar for wedding ceremonies Photograph: Paula Bronstein/Getty Images

Apartments under construction as a property boom in the capital city continues apace Photograph: Paula Bronstein/Getty Images

A young boy rollerblades past a Louis Vuitton shop at a mall near Sükhbaatar Square in Ulan Bator Photograph: Paula Bronstein/Getty Images

Chinese construction workers march off to their lunchbreak at the Oyu Tolgoi mine in the south Gobi desert. About 2,500 Chinese workers are contracted to work on site. The copper and gold mine is a combined open pit and underground mining project Photograph: Paula Bronstein/Getty Images

Pupils line up during a physical education class at the Khanbogd secondary school. The school has added a new extension to accommodate the growing number of students Photograph: Paula Bronstein/Getty Images

Enkhnaraa, two, looks out from her home, located near the Oyu Tolgoi mine in the Gobi desert. Her father is employed at the mining site Photograph: Paula Bronstein/Getty Images

Mongolian herders living near the mine Photograph: Paula Bronstein/Getty Images

Herder Zolzaya, 18, carries a bucket of milk following her daily chore of milking the camels Photograph: Paula Bronstein/Getty Images

The central business district of Ulan Bator at rush hour Photograph: Paula Bronstein/Getty Images

A truck drives along a new 110km (68-mile) road in the south Gobi desert towards the Chinese border. The road was built as part of Oyu Tolgoi's infrastructure investment Photograph: Paula Bronstein/Getty Images

Work continues on a new airport being built by Oyu Tolgoi, to handle the increased demand for transport to and from the region Photograph: Paula Bronstein/Getty Images

Chris Murphy, from Texas, relaxes in his traditional Ger hut after work in the Gobi desert. He works for Fluor, contracted in the construction phase of the mine Photograph: Paula Bronstein/Getty Images