The Mongolian Historical Panorama

The Mongolian Historical Panorama

The Mongolian Historical Panorama is a painting that depicts the history from the birth of Genghis Khan to the retreat of the Yuan rulers from Dadu, the capital of the Yuan Dynasty, to the northern grasslands where they established the Northern Yuan regime. It authentically reflects the most glorious period in Mongolian history and the historical process of unifying China and accelerating the development of world civilization. The 206-meter-long oil painting is currently the longest oil painting in the world.

In order to fully showcase the entire panorama of this 206-meter-long oil painting depicting the "Mongolian Historical Panorama," the museum used handheld cameras, turned off the flash under low-light conditions, increased the ISO sensitivity, and took segmented photographs of the painting section by section.

According to historical records, after the Mongolian tribes were defeated by the Turkic tribes, only two men and two women survived. They fled to the area around the Erguna River, settled there, and began to reproduce. Many years later, the tribe gradually prospered and branched into many groups. By the 8th century AD, due to continuous population growth and the need for better development, they had to migrate outward. By then, there were already 70 branches, known as the "Selected Mongols." Among the migrating Mongols was a highly respected man named Bodonchar, who led the Selected Mongols and called themselves the "Qiyan Tribe." The Qiyan people migrated to the area around the source of the Onon River and the Khentii Mountains, transitioning their lifestyle from hunting to herding. According to the "Secret History of the Mongols," after the death of Dobun Mergen, the great-grandson of Bodonchar, his widow Alan Goa gave birth to three sons. Legend has it that these three sons were born of divine origin, and the Borjigin clan, descended from Bodonchar, were the ancestors of Genghis Khan. The Selected Mongols were called the "Yeke Mongols" (Great Mongols), and they were the original Mongol people.

In the early 13th century, Genghis Khan unified the tribes of the Mongolian Plateau and established the Great Mongol Empire. He implemented a new household registration system to distribute the population, and defeated tribes such as the Tatars, Keraits, and Naimans were divided among the various thousands. Tribes of different ethnicities, uneven levels of social development, and diverse dialects formed a unified ethnic community — the Mongolian people — under the rule of a single khan. This community shared a common territory, economic foundation, language, and psychological identity.

In 1162, when Temujin, the leader of the Mongol Qiyuan tribe, was born on the grasslands by the Onon River, his father Yesugei achieved a great victory over their longtime enemies, the Tatars. In 1170, when Temujin was nine years old, Yesugei went to arrange his marriage but was poisoned by the Tatars on his way back.

After being captured, Temujin escaped danger by hiding in a wool cart with the help of the Sochirchin family. Eight of Temujin’s horses were stolen, and while chasing the thieves, he met his loyal companion Bo’orchu. In 1178, Temujin married Börte.

The Battle of the Thirteen Wings: In 1191, Jamukha of the Jadaran tribe allied with a coalition of thirteen tribes to attack Temujin. Temujin formed an army of thirteen wings and confronted them at Dalan Baljut. This battle is historically known as the "Battle of the Thirteen Wings."

Jamukha captured young men from the Chechen tribe who had pledged allegiance to Temujin and boiled them in seventy iron cauldrons. This act caused Jamukha to lose the support of the people, and many tribes defected to Temujin. The Battle of the Thirteen Wings was one of the battles during Temujin’s (later known as Genghis Khan) efforts to unify the Mongol tribes. In the late 12th century, under Temujin’s leadership, the Mongol Qiyuan tribe rapidly grew in strength, which angered Jamukha, the leader of the Jadaran tribe. In the first year of the Mingchang era of the Jin Dynasty (1190), Jamukha, citing the killing of one of his tribesmen for stealing Temujin’s horses, allied with the Tayichiud and thirteen other tribes, totaling 30,000 soldiers, to attack Temujin.

Four years passed in the blink of an eye, and conflicts among the grassland tribes continued unabated, with endless skirmishes. However, peace reigned among the four major powers: the Mongols, the Jalairs, the Keraits, and the Tatars.

To avoid direct conflict, each side actively employed various means to annex smaller tribes and strengthen themselves, accumulating strength for the great battles to come. These were four years of relative calm, yet also four years of simmering undercurrents. Anyone with insight could tell that this was merely a temporary lull before a massive storm.

Genghis Khan Mausoleum

Bayan Chuluut Grassland

The Eight White Palaces

Mongolian Historical and Cultural Museum

Altan Gandele Ovoo

Sulede Altar

Iron Horse Golden Camp Sculpture Group