Gandan Monastery

Gandan Monastery

Gandan Monastery (also translated as Ganden Monastery), founded in 1835, is a Tibetan-style Buddhist monastery. Its full name, Gandantegchinlen Monastery, means "the place of complete joy." It is the largest Buddhist monastery in Mongolia and the main place where locals... Gandan Monastery currently houses around 150 monks and features a 26.5-meter-high statue of the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara ("Migjid Janraisig"). In 1994, it was designated as a national protected site.

In the 1930s, under the influence of Stalin and led by Khorloogiin Choibalsan, the Mongolian government killed 15,000 monks and destroyed nearly all monasteries in Mongolia. Gandan Monastery was one of the few that survived. In 1938, the Soviet army dismantled the statue of the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara inside the monastery. After the end of the Soviet era, in 1996, the Mongolian people spontaneously organized donations to rebuild the statue. The new statue contains 2,286 precious stones and is covered with a layer of gold leaf. It is said to be a national treasure of Mongolia.

Gandan Monastery

Reason to visit: The largest Buddhist monastery in Mongolia

Continent where the attraction is located: Asia【Asia】

Country/Region where the attraction is located: Mongolia[Mongolia]

Province/State where the attraction is located: Ulan Bator [Ulan Bator]

City where the attraction is located: Ulan Bator [Ulan Bator]