Visit Mongolia’s Oldest Buddhist Monastery: Erdene Zuu Monastery In Kharkhorin

The breathtaking Erdene Zuu Monastery, which means Hundred Treasures, is Mongolia’s oldest Buddhist monastery, located within Orkhon Valley’s Karakorum – the ancient imperial capital of Mongolia.

One of the most stunning and spiritual landmarks in Mongolia is Erdene Zuu Monastery, founded in 1586 by Altai Khaan, the first Shunyi king during the Ming dynasty.

Situated in Kharkhorin, the ancient imperial capital, the magnificent monastery is considered as one of the most important monasteries in Mongolia since during its peak, it encompassed 60-100 temples and up to 300 yurts that 1,000 monks called home. There are 108 (a sacred number in Buddhism) uniformed stupas framing the divine territory.

 

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Most but three temples were destroyed during the Stalinist purges in the 1930s. The three remaining temples symbolize the three stages of Buddha’s life: childhood, adolescence and adulthood. 

Later, numerous tsam masks (dancing demon ceremonial masks,) religious statues, and thangkas (religious Buddhist paintings) were discovered, thanks to military officers that found the artifacts buried in mountains located not too far from the monastery. Some were even kept in homes of local residents. 

After Stalinist purges, the Eredene Zuu Monastery was annihilated and neglected until 1965 when it was reopened as a museum, though not a place for worship. After the end of Communism in 1990, the monastery regained its prominence as a sacred ground for religious and spiritual practices.