The cultural landscape of the Orkhon Valley in Uvurkhangai brings together history and a pastoral landscape that is still in use. Mongolian nomads graze their herds on both banks of the Orkhon; at the same time, the area contains numerous archaeological remains dating back to the 6th century. The cultural landscape covers 121,967 hectares and extends through the sums of Bat-Ă–lzii, Khujirt and Kharkhorin. Here, you can encounter historic sites from different centuries in a landscape that is still used as pastureland today.
From Kharkhorum to Monasteries
Kharkhorum was the capital of Chingis Khan’s empire in the 13th and 14th centuries. Right next to it, Erdene Zuu Monastery was founded in 1586 on the orders of Avtai Sain Khan. It is the oldest surviving Mongolian Buddhist monastery. The two sites represent different historical perspectives: Kharkhorum as the former capital, and Erdene Zuu as a later Buddhist monastery foundation.
Khar Balgas adds another historical period: the city was the capital of the Uyghur Empire in the 8th and 9th centuries. Together, the three sites place regional history in the context of their respective eras and roles: Khar Balgas as an imperial capital, Kharkhorum as the capital of Chingis Khan’s empire, and Erdene Zuu as a monastery. If you want to explore historic sites in chronological order, they form a clear sequence from the early Middle Ages to the monastery’s foundation in 1586.
The history of other monasteries can also be traced through specific dates. Baruun KhĂĽree, also known as Shank Monastery, was founded in 1647 on the southeastern slope of Mount Shank in Kharkhorin Sum. Tuvkhun was established in 1654 at the initiative of Zanabazar. A path with stone steps carved into the rock leads to the monastery. The founding years are only seven years apart; details of their locations and the route to Tuvkhun also provide different points of reference for the two monasteries.
Culture and Orientation
The region can be explored through more than just its historic sites. At the Kharkhorum Museum, the Center for Traditional Mongolian Games offers educational programs for children and young people. Games and cultural learning take center stage here—a different way of engaging with Mongolian history than exploring capitals and monastery foundations.
There is a cultural tourism route within the World Heritage Site. Individual route maps may contain additional details, so be sure to consult the relevant map before making specific plans. The route provides a thematic framework for exploring the cultural landscape without reducing its history to a single era.
Festival Days and Hot Springs
The annual traditional Yak Festival in Bat-Ă–lzii was listed in the Uvurkhangai Province calendar for July 23, 2024. If you want to include a festival in your travel plans, check the date for your chosen year.
Khujirt is known for its hot springs. An account published in 2015 mentions five to six thermal baths or health resorts that were regularly operating there; the number may have changed. If you are planning a visit around them, check their current availability in advance.
Discover more destinations: Kharkhorin, Khujirt, Umnugovi, Töw, Zavkhan Province, Khuvsgul, Darkhan-Uul Province, Ulaanbaatar.
For the main travel overview: Mongolia.
