The Gandantegchinlen Monastery, whose name means "the Great Place of Complete Joy," is the principal centre of Tibetan Buddhism in Mongolia. Located on Dalkha Hill in Ulaanbaatar, it houses around 900 monks, ten active datsan colleges and the monumental statue of Megjid-Janraiseg, towering at 26.5 metres. A survivor of the Stalinist purges of the 1930s, the site remains today the living heart of Mongolian Buddhism.

Why visit Gandantegchinlen

• The Megjid-Janraiseg statue: 26.5 metres tall, over 20 tonnes of copper gilded in gold, one of the tallest Buddhist statues in inner Asia.
• A living monastery: daily services, tantric chanting, annual Kalachakra ritual — you experience genuine practice, not a museum.
• Preserved heritage: Gandan is one of the rare great Mongolian monasteries to have escaped destruction in the 1930s.
• A unique architectural ensemble: ten datsan colleges, a library of 50,000 volumes and a Buddhist university still in operation.

History of the monastery

The monastery was founded in 1809 by the fifth Javzandamba under the name of Shar Sum ("the Yellow Monastery"). In 1838, it was relocated to Dalkha Hill, its current location, and became the principal centre of Tantric Buddhism in Mongolia. Several colleges emerged here in the 19th century: philosophy, astrology, traditional medicine.

In the 1930s, under Stalin's pressure, the Mongolian communist regime destroyed more than 900 monasteries and massacred over 10,000 monks. Gandan was one of the few to escape total destruction. It was nevertheless closed in 1938: five of its temples were razed, the others serving as stables or dwellings for Soviet officials. Following a petition by monks, the monastery reopened in 1944, with reduced numbers and under strict supervision.

The fall of the communist regime in 1990 marked an end to restrictions. Gandan then launched a vast programme to restore religious practice throughout Mongolia. The giant Megjid-Janraiseg statue, dismantled by the Soviets, was reconstructed and inaugurated by the Dalai Lama in October 1996, after five years of work.

What to see within the grounds

The Megjid-Janraiseg statue

Megjid-Janraiseg, "the Lord who looks in all directions," is the bodhisattva of compassion. The original statue, erected in 1913 and standing 32 metres tall, had been financed by popular donations to restore sight to the Bogdo Khan, the eighth Javzandamba and Emperor of Mongolia. It symbolised independence from Manchu rule. Dismantled in 1937 by Soviet troops, its debris allegedly — according to an oral tradition never formally documented — was used to manufacture bullets during the Siege of Leningrad.

The current statue, inaugurated in 1996, measures 26.5 metres and weighs over 20 tonnes. It is made of copper from Erdenet mines, covered in gold donated by Nepal and Japan, draped in gold-embroidered brocade and over 100 kg of silk. According to monastery sources, it contains 2,286 precious stones, 27 tonnes of medicinal plants, 334 sutras and two million mantras. A thousand statuettes of Amitabha (Ayush) surround it, framed by two stone lions.

The principal temples

The Vajradhara Temple, built in 1840-1841 in stone and brick, preserves on its main altar the statue of Vajra Tara designed by Zanabazar in 1683. The Dzu Temple houses a standing Buddha surrounded by his disciples (early 19th century, made in Dolon Nuur in Inner Mongolia) and hosts a daily service.

The Dedanpovran building, erected in the early 20th century on two storeys, serves as the monastery's library. It holds over 50,000 books, nearly a million sutras in Mongolian, Tibetan and Sanskrit, as well as 16th-century surgical instruments. The 13th Dalai Lama resided there in 1904.

You can also see a bronze statue of Zanabazar, the first incarnation of the Living Buddha, which he sculpted himself at his mother's request; the Tripitaka (Gangiur) in 108 volumes; and a silver statue of Tsongkhapa of Amdo created in the 16th century in western Mongolia.

The active datsan colleges

• Datsan Dechingalav: conducts the Kalachakra ritual each spring. The Dalai Lama performed a Kalachakra initiation there in summer 1995.
• Datsan Tashchoimphel: created in 1756 by the 2nd Bogd Jebzundamba, restored in 1990, temple completed in 1994.
• Datsan Gungaachoiling: created in 1809 by the 4th Bogd, it trained over 3,000 monks.
• Datsan Jud: built in 1739 by the 2nd Bogd Jebzundamba, reopened in 1998, dedicated to tantric services and ritual chanting.
• The Buddhist University of Mongolia, founded in 1970, offers a post-secondary curriculum over 4 years: Buddhist philosophy, chanting, sacred languages, traditional medicine and astrology.

When to visit

Gandan can be visited year-round. The most striking moment remains the Kalachakra ritual of Datsan Dechingalav, celebrated each spring (on the 15th of the last month of spring according to the lunar calendar), as well as major Buddhist festivals such as Tsagaan Sar (Mongolian New Year, February-March). To attend daily services and hear the chanting, arrive in the morning. Since winter in Ulaanbaatar is harsh (temperatures well below -20°C), pack appropriate gear if visiting between December and February.

Practical information

• Dress code: modest clothing recommended (shoulders and knees covered). Remove your hat when entering temples.
• Circumambulation: walk around the statue and temples in clockwise direction, in accordance with Buddhist practice.
• Photography: generally permitted within the grounds, often paid or prohibited inside temples. Ask permission before photographing monks.
• Fee: free entry to the grounds, modest ticket to access the hall of the Megjid-Janraiseg statue.
• Duration: allow 1 to 2 hours for a complete visit, longer if you attend a service.

How to get there

The monastery is located on Dalkha Hill, in the north-west of central Ulaanbaatar, about 1.5 km from Sükhbaatar Square. You can reach it on foot from the centre (20 to 30 minutes), by taxi (short and inexpensive ride) or by urban buses serving the Gandan neighbourhood. Chinggis Khaan International Airport is about 50 km to the south, approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour by road.

Nearby attractions

To extend your exploration of Mongolian Buddhism and its heritage, you can complement your visit with:

• Khambiin Khiid Monastery, another major site of contemporary Buddhism.
• Binder Monastery, in the region of Genghis Khan's origin.
• Gunj Temple, a rare example of Sino-Manchu architecture in Mongolia.
• The Turkic memorials of Khöshöö Tsaidam, for another facet of the country's heritage.

Frequently asked questions

Including Gandan in your trip

Visiting Gandantegchinlen is almost essential during a stay in Ulaanbaatar: it is the most accessible gateway to Mongolian spirituality. To build an itinerary combining the capital, the steppes and the country's great monasteries, consult our trips to Mongolia.