The National History Museum, formerly named “Museum of the Revolution”, opened in 1991. It has important collections of nomadic or sacred art, craft industry, and domestic and technical objects (used for breeding, for example), and is a very good introduction to the history of Mongolia from Prehistory to nowadays. Among the 15.000 museum pieces, we can notably see some carpets and silk objects dating back from the Huns period, and some leather boots belonging to a Mongolian soldier of this period.

The first floor is dedicated to the old history, with a beautiful collection of petroglyphs and deer stones, and some exhibitions of Xiongnu and Uyghur funeral sites.

The second floor shows clothes, objects, and jewels, of the different Mongolian ethnic groups. An entire gallery is dedicated to the exhibition of the traditional costumes, hats, and jewels, of the different Mongolian ethnic groups.

The third floor will delight the lovers of Genghis Khan and the Mongolian hordes. The collection includes the letters between the Pope Innocent IV and Guytik Khaan, written in Latin and Persian, dated the 13th of November 1246, and bearing the stamp of the Khaan. We can also see an exhibition about the Mongolian traditional culture with, notably, a furnished yurt, tools for traditional agriculture and domestic life, saddles, and musical instruments.

Erdene Zuu Monastery, ”Jewel Temple”, was built between 1585 and 1586. It’s certainly the oldest Buddhist monastery of Mongolia. Located in the province of Ovorkhangai, about 2 kilometres (1,2 mile) Northeast Kharkhorin, it’s inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in the category “cultural landscape of Orkhon Valley”.

The Prince Abtai Han, Khalh leader and Zanabazar’s grandfather, ordered to build it in 1585 outside the ruins of Kkarkhorin, after he has met the 3rd Dalai Lama and the Tibetan Buddhism was declared religion of state in Mongolia.

Three Chinese-style temples, “Gurvan Zuu”, were built at that period with bricks and stones taken in the imperial city of Kharkhorin. They line up in a small enclosure, facing East. They were the only sedentary temples of the Empire, as the other monasteries were set in yurts and followed the nomadic princes. An inner hall allows walking around the statues sheltered in the temples. In 1743, a 400-metres (1312 feet) square enclosure with four huge doors was added. Then other temples and residences were added around the first buildings and outside the enclosure, so that at the beginning of the 20th century, there were more than 700.

The enclosure was built in order to protect the treasure of the nation and to resist the many attacks of the Züüngar. At the beginning of the 19th century, it was built again in bricks and surmounted by 108 stupas (108 is a magic number in Buddhism, it’s notably the number of pearls of a Buddhist rosary mala), all different and each one bearing the name of its donor. During the restoration of 1990, they were restored but all identical. Two other stupas contain the remains of Prince Abtai and the ones of his son Gombodorj. You will also see the small temple of Dalai Lama, dating from 1675, and the “lavrang” that is the residence of the reincarnated lama and that was built in 1780. You will also see Bodhi Suvraga standing, a large golden stupa erected in 1799 in honour of the 4th Javzandamba Khutagt.

A wooden yurt that is 20 metres (65,62 feet) in diameter was the Javzandamba’s residence. There was also a temple dedicated to Zanabazar and six monastic faculties. In 1792, 10.000 lamas were living there. Erdene Zuu is a monastery of Saskyapa rite. This school tries to keep the equilibrium between erudition and meditation. According to this school, there’s no difference between the Samsara, the cycle of births, and the Nirvana.

In 1939, the communist leader Horlogiin Choibalsan destroyed the monastery in the context of a purge that brought about the disappearance of hundreds of monasteries in Mongolia and the death of more than 10.000 lamas. Three temples and the outer wall with the stupas remained intact ; the temples were transformed in museums in 1947. This part of the monastery is reported to have been spared due to pressures exerted by Joseph Staline. A researcher thinks that it’s the American president Franklin Roosevelt who asked Staline to spare the monastery in 1944.

So Erdene Zuu went on existing as a museum ; the only monastery that worked in Mongolia was Gandantegchinlen Monastery in the capital, Ulan-Bator.

Nevertheless, after the fall of communism in 1990, the monastery was given to the lamas and Erdene Zuu became a place of worship again, where many pilgrims come to walk and gather their thoughts. The site was restored at the end of the century and almost found back its religious activity. Today, Erdene Zuu remains an active Buddhist monastery, and at the same time a museum open to travellers.

Gandan Monastery is a Tibetan-style Buddhist Monastery. Its name means ”the big place of the complete joy”. Nowadays, many hundreds of monks live there. It houses a 26,5-metres (87 feet) high statue of Megjid-Janraiseg. Megjid-Janraiseg is a bodhisattva, a sage who leads the men on the way of Truth. He represents compassion.

History

The fifth Javzandamba, who was the highest lama in the hierarchy of the Mongolian clergy, created this monastery in 1809 under the name of Shar sum (“the yellow monastery”). It was located in the centre of Ulan-Bator. In 1838, it was moved at his current location on Dalkha Hill, and took its current name. Then it became the main religious centre of Tantric Buddhism in Mongolia, and many schools (Buddhism, astrology, medicine) were created as the time went by.

In the 1930’s, the communist system of Mongolia, under the insistent pressure of Staline, led to the destruction of more than 900 monasteries and to the slaughter of more than 10.000 Buddhist lamas, but Gandantegchinlen monastery was one of the few monasteries that avoided its own destruction. It was closed in 1938 and five temples of the monastery were destroyed. The other ones were used as places for welcoming the Russian officials or as cowsheds. In 1944, after a petition signed by many lamas, the monastery opened again and was even allowed to work as a Buddhist monastery, but with small number of lamas and under the strict control of the communists.

The fall of the communist system in 1990 in Mongolia led to the end of the restrictions of cult and allowed the monastery resuming its activity. Gandan Monastery started an ambitious program of restoration of the cult all across the country. Today, there are ten active datsans and temples inside the monastery, where about 900 lamas live.

About the statue of Megjid-Janraiseg

The original statue is made of gold and bronze and was erected in 1913 thanks to donations that Mongolian people gave for the Bogdo Khan (the eighth Javzandamba who had become Emperor of Mongolia) to recover his eyesight. The statue was 32 metres (105 feet) high and was the symbol of Mongolian independence towards the Manchu system. 24 years later, in 1937, the Soviet troops demolished the statue. The debris is supposed to have been used to make bullets during the siege of Leningrad.

After the democratic revolution of 1990, the government guaranteed the liberty of cult. The reconstruction of the statue symbolized the goodness of the government and its wish to guarantee security, freedom and independence. The government and the Mongolian people attached great importance to the reconstruction of the statue.

The Dalai Lama inaugurated the statue of Megjid-Janraiseg (which means ”the lord who watches in every direction”) in 1996, after five years of work. This 25-metres (82 feet) high statue, weighing more than 20 tons, is made of copper coming from the mines of Erdenet. It’s covered with gold that was offered to Mongolia by Nepal and Japan, and is covered with brocade embroidered with gold, and with more than 100 kilograms (220 pounds) of silk. The statue contains 2286 precious stones, 27 tons of medicinal plants, 334 sutras and 2 millions mantras !

One thousand statuettes of God Amitabha (Ayush) surround it. Two stone statues of lions are placed near it, according to the codes of Buddhist sculpture.

The temples that compose the monastery

The first temple of the monastery was built on Luvsanchultimjigmed Dambiijantsan’s initiative. He was a living Mongolian Buddha, the fifth incarnation of the Bogd. Made by the best Mongolian architects, this temple is essentially made with wood and soil, according to Mongolian architectural concepts of that period, with ceilings covered with gold. It also housed very precious symbolic Buddhist decorations. Many statues and pictures of the Boddhisattva that are placed in Gandan are very important. We can also see :

• A bronze statue of Zanabazar, first incarnation of living Buddha, sculpted by himself on request of his mother ;

• Buddhas’ basic instruction in 108 volumes, the Tripitaka (Gangiur) ;

• The silver statue of the famous Tsongkhapa from Amdo, made during the 16th century in Western Mongolia.

The Vajradhara Temple was built between 1840 and 1841. It’s made of stones and bricks, with ceilings in ceramic and gold-plated decorations. On the main altar of Dzu Temple, we can see a statue of Buddha standing with his two disciples, which was made in Dolon Nuur, Inner Mongolia, at the beginning of the 19th century. There is a religious service everyday.

The building “Dedanprovan” was built at the beginning of the 20th century on two floors, to become the library of the fifth incarnation of the living Buddha Luvsanchultimjigmed Dambiijantsan. Its ceilings are in ceramic and it also has very high valued golden-plated decorations. In 1904, the 13th Dalai Lama lived there. Today, the fifth building, called library, is used as library for Gandantegchinlen Monastery and has more than 50.000 books, and 1 million sutras written in Mongolian, Tibetan and Sanskrit. We also find surgical instruments dating from the 16th century.

Moreover, the temples house the ”Eight Noble Decorations”, ”Damdin Choijil”, some representations of the Mahayana, of the lord Hinayana, and of the Bodhisattva, and also sixteen representations of Arhat made by Mongolian, Tibetan and Indian artists. Embroideries and paintings representing the Bodhisattva made by a Mongolian artist, and a large number of satirical designs and cartoons, are also housed in the monastery.

The teaching centre ”datsan” Dechingalav was located in the centre of Ulan Bator before being rebuilt inside the monastery in 1992. Each spring, this school performs the Kalachakra ritual. The construction of this datsan began in 1800 after the fourth Bogd Jevzundamba had visited Kalachakra Monastery Zuu Baruun in Tibet. At that time, Lkhokh Jalsrai Gegeen initiated him into Kalachakra philosophy, temporal cycle. The Bogd inaugurated the Dechen Gelpa Datsan in 1801 and it worked until he closed, in 1937. In 1961, a Kalachakra ceremony took place in one of the temples of Gandantegchinlen Monastery, for the first time since the school had closed.

When His Holiness Dalai Lama made a Kalachakra initiation at Varanesi, India, in 1990, he announced that the next initiation would take place in Mongolia, at Gandantegchinlen Monastery. So the Mongolians immediately started the preparations and the reconstruction of the datsan. The initiation took place in 1995, but before it, Tibetan teachers visited the place and taught the lamas living there how to make a sand mandala. During the summer 1995, His Holiness Dalai Lama visited the place and made the initiation. Since that day, the datsan performs each year a Kalachakra ritual, on the 15th of the last month of spring (lunar calendar).

The 8th Bogd Jevzundamba created the teaching centre Idgachoinzinlin. Its practices are based on the works of the Tibetan scholar Sera Jebzunpa. The datsan was destroyed in 1938. The old disciples Tserendemchig and Naidan wanted to restore their datsan, so this reopened in 1990. A new temple was inaugurated in 2004.

The 2nd Bogd Jebzundamba and Manjusri Khutagtu created the teaching centre Tashchoimphel in 1756. It was destroyed in 1938. The datsan was restored in 1990 and the temple was completed in 1994.

The 4th Bogd Jetsundamba created the teaching centre Gungaachoiling in 1809. It taught the works of the Tibetan scholar Panchen Sonamdagva. The datsan trained more than 3000 lamas, including the Mongolian masters Agvanrinchen, Darp Pandita and Zava Damdin Gavju. The datsan resumed its activity in 1990 and began to train new disciples. Nowadays, many lamas study there.

The Buddhist University of Mongolia was created in 1970. The University mixes modern education and traditional teaching methods. It has a program after A-levels (high school diploma) in four years. Nowadays, there are two sections :

• internal science section, that includes lessons of Buddhist philosophy and of singing ;

• common knowledge section, that includes Tibetan language, Sanskrit language and English language lessons, and also traditional medicine and astrology lessons.

The second Bogd Jebzundamba built in 1745 the teaching centre Badam Yoga, where the cult of singing and recitation of prayers take place. The activity of the datsan was stopped in 1938 and resumed in 2002. Now it’s located in the Geser Temple, in the Eastern part of Gandan.

The main aim of the school of traditional medicine and astrology is to make predictions. Are determined the positive and negative months and days to organize an event. The doctors diagnose the diseases and treat their patients.

The second Bogd Jebzundamba created in 1739 the teaching centre Lud. Like the other ones, the datsan closed in 1938, and only 50 years later, in 1998, it resumed its activities. Tantric services and ritual songs are performed here.

Tovkhon Monastery is 2312 metres (1,4 mile) above the sea level, at the top of the sacred hill Shireet Ulaan. It’s in the province of Ovorkhangai, in the sum of Bat Ulzii. Surrounded with rocks and forests of larches, it dominates Orkhon Valley.

History

In 1648, the young Zanabazar, who was only 14 years old, decides to make built a monastery on the sacred hill of Shireet Ulaan, because the place was of good omen for him. The first building was built in wood in 1651, when the young Bogd Gegeen came back from his studies, and the whole was completed three years later. Zanabazar was a very good sculptor, musician and painter, and he has been using the monastery, originally called Bayasgalant Aglag Oron, ”Land of the happy loneliness”, for his personal retreat, for more than 30 years. He used to come to gather his thoughts in a cell that was reserved for him. In this small stone cell, he’s reported to have written the soyombo alphabet and many other famous works.

The Oirats destroyed the monastery in 1688 during one of the several warlike campaigns against the Eastern Mongolians. It was restored in 1773 but sustained new serious damages during the Stalinist purges in the late 1930’s, when the communist system was trying to eradicate Buddhism from the country.

Tovkhon Monastery today

From that period, two temples and two stupas remain. The other temples were built in the 18th century. The monastery started again its activity in 1992. It is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1996.

The site also includes Ekhiin Agui, ”the mother’s cave”, that is composed of two cavities. We can crawl in the main cavity. Once at the bottom of it, we have to turn over to sit in the small cavity. These movements symbolize gestation and birth. Anyone will make them will have a great fecundity. The persons going out from this cave are told to feel like if they had had a new birth.

The monastery is surrounded with rocks. Some of them have a historic value, because they represent Zanabazar’s prints, the place where he used to rest, or the place where his horse was tied. A pile of stones is reported to find its roots at the period of the war between Khalkhs and Uulds. The Ondor Gegeen is reported to have rid away from the battlefields, using an underpass called “the door of the great pleasures” ; then he’s reported to have obstructed the entrance with a big stone.

Lake Badarkhundaga, whose name means "begging bowl", is a glacial lake nestled in a corrie right under the Southern side of Mount Otgontenger. This freshwater lake is very deep, it stretches on 400 metres (1312,34 feet) long and 320 metres (1049,87 feet) wide. It's a sacred place that the locals regard as Vajrapani's begging bowl.

Here, North from the sacred Mount Otgontenger, the official offering of the Mongolian State were presented to Vajrapani. Traditionally, offerings included a white horse with silver saddle and bridle, or a silver cup decorated with nine precious stones. After 1821, each year, silver, gold, corals, pearls and silver bars were offered to the lake.