Erdene Zuu Monastery

The oldest remaining Buddhist monastery in Mongolia is most likely the Erdene Zuu Monastery. It is a component of the Orkhon Valley Cultural Landscape World Heritage Site and is situated in the province of Vörkhangai, about 2 km to the northeast of Kharkhorin's city center and close to Karakorum, a historic city. The monastery belongs to the Tibetan Buddhist Gelug sect. During one of the several conflicts between Dzungars and Khalkha Mongols in 1688, the monastery was devastated. The wooden defences of the deserted monastery were destroyed by the locals. After being restored in the 18th century, it had a total of 62 temples and could accommodate up to 1000 monks by 1872.

Tradition has it that a local Buddhist student called Bunia tried unsuccessfully to fly multiple times in 1745 using a contraption he created that resembled a parachute. The monastery was given to the lamas once communism was overthrown in Mongolia in 1990, and Erdene Zuu once more served as a place of prayer. Today, Erdene Zuu is still a functioning Buddhist monastery as well as a public museum. The Kharkhorin Rock is a stone phallus that is located on a hill outside of the monastery. According to legend, the phallus controls the monks' sexual inclinations and ensures their good conduct.

Location: Near Kharkhorin, Övörkhangai Province, Mongolia