Surrounded by a forest of Siberian birches, the ruins of the Manzushir Monastery, destroyed in 1938, lie 5 km northeast of Zuunmod, capital of Töv aimag, and south of the strictly protected area of Bogd Khan (a mountain range peaking at 2,256 meters).

The site consists of around one hundred granite boulders detached from the mountainside and scattered throughout the forest. Several Buddhas have been painted on the stone, one of them measuring 2 meters in height. There is also a large bronze cauldron dating from 1726, weighing 2 tonnes with a capacity of 1,800 liters. The site has been protected since 1971 and the Buddha paintings since 1994.

History

Built between 1733 and 1747, the monastery initially contained just a single temple. When the second Javzavdamba was recognized in 1750, the monastery benefited from improvements made by the disciples of the Reincarnate. In 1770, the Shar Khuree was established here, which housed the seat of the 8th Javzandamba, the Bogd Gegeen, in 1919–1920. At its height, the monastery boasted 20 temples and around 300 resident monks. The complex was destroyed in 1932 during the Communist purges. The Seruun Lavrin temple was restored in 1994 and now serves as a museum recounting the history of the place. Today the entire site is undergoing a redevelopment project.