Manzushir Monastery

Manzushir monastery was demolished by Mongolian communists in 1937. Its remains are located on the south slope of Bogd Khan Mountain, some 15 kilometers (as the crow flies, 43 kilometers by automobile) south of the Mongolian capital Ulaanbaatar. This is one of the most beautiful historical sites in Mongolia.

The monastery, devoted to Manzushir, the Bodhisattva of Wisdom, was founded in 1733 by the sainted monk Luvsanjambaldanzan as the permanent dwelling of the Bodhisattva of Wisdom's Reincarnation. In 1750, Mongolia's religious leader, the Jebtsundamba Khutuktu, commonly known as the Bogd Khan, took personal control over it. Over time, the monastery grew to become one of the country's largest and most prominent monastic institutions, with 20 temples and more than 300 monks. Religious rites frequently involved over 1000 monks. The lamasery featured a remarkable and rare collection of Buddhist texts, including golden lettering on silver leaf.

Today, the monastery is a popular tourist and trekking attraction, complete with an on-site hostel. The Manzushir monastery complex was returned to the Buddhist temple, and the remaining things within it (the repaired temple, the ruins of walls and structures, representations of Buddhist deities, and sacred inscriptions on the rocks) are still regarded as objects of devotion.

Location: Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia