Erdene Zuu Monastery

Mongolia's Oldest Buddhist Monastery, Built From the Ruins of an Empire

Founded in 1586 by Abtai Sain Khan after his meeting with the Third Dalai Lama, Erdene Zuu — meaning “Hundred Treasures” — is widely considered Mongolia’s first and oldest Buddhist monastery. Built directly on the ruins of Kharkhorum using stones salvaged from the ancient Mongol capital, the monastery symbolically bridged Mongolia’s imperial past with its new spiritual future, and remains an active site of worship today.

108 Stupas and a Living Faith

The monastery complex is enclosed by a 400-metre defensive wall lined with 108 whitewashed stupas — 108 being a sacred number in Buddhism, representing the beads of a prayer mala. At its 18th-century peak, Erdene Zuu housed as many as 62 to 100 temples and over 1,000 resident monks, making it the undisputed religious centre of Mongolia.

Survival Through Turmoil

The monastery was damaged during 17th-century wars between the Dzungars and Khalkha Mongols, and suffered far worse during the Stalinist purges of the 1930s, when most of its temples were destroyed and many monks killed or exiled. Remarkably, three of the original Gurvan Zuu temples survived and were placed under state protection in 1944, later reopening for worship in 1990.

What Survives Today

Visitors can explore the three surviving Gurvan Zuu temples, each housing a statue of Buddha Shakyamuni at a different stage of life, along with the Lavrin Temple, the small Dalai Lama temple dating to 1675, and a large golden stupa raised in 1799. The on-site museum displays Buddhist relics and stonework recovered from the ruins of Kharkhorum itself.

Gallery

• Walk the 400-metre wall lined with 108 sacred stupas
• See surviving 16th-century temples and Buddhist relics
• Visit the museum housing stonework from ancient Kharkhorum
• Witness an active monastery where monks still chant and worship