Kharkhorin brings together monastic history, archaeological traces and educational programs about traditional Mongolian games. Erdene Zuu is among the historical landmarks in the municipality, and an outdoor exhibition area at the Kharkhorum Museum houses a center for traditional Mongolian games. Two ruins of an ancient city lie in Bayangol Gorge, 13 km north of the center. The broader setting leads to the wider region of Uvurkhangai and the Orkhon Valley cultural landscape.
Erdene Zuu: Founding, Construction and Change
Erdene Zuu Monastery was founded in 1586 by Abtai Sain Khan. Its history can also be seen in figures relating to the complex: in 1792, the monastery had 62 temples and 500 buildings; today, 18 temples remain. In 1944, it was placed under state protection. These key facts show both the former scale of the complex and that only some of its temples have survived to the present day.
The construction methods also offer a distinct way to explore the monastery’s history. The temple buildings were built without nails. The wood was joined and tenoned together. Alongside the historical figures, these are concrete construction details that describe the monastery as a structure. They offer visitors different ways to orient themselves on site: the 16th-century founding, the complex’s evolution over the centuries and the craftsmanship of the temples.
Ruins and Educational Programs
Two ruins of an ancient city lie in Bayangol Gorge. They are located 13 km north of the center of Kharkhorin. They form a distinct geographical point of reference alongside the historical sites in the municipality.
The outdoor exhibition area at the Kharkhorum Museum has a center for traditional Mongolian games. Educational programs for children and young people are held there. This adds an educational perspective to Kharkhorin’s cultural themes, with a specific focus on traditional games. The ruins, monastery and museum thus offer different historical and cultural perspectives, each addressing a distinct subject.
The Wider Setting: Uvurkhangai and the Orkhon Valley
The Orkhon Valley cultural landscape extends through the soums of Bat-Ă–lzii, Khujirt and Kharkhorin in Uvurkhangai Province. It covers 121,967 hectares and includes pastureland on both banks of the Orkhon and numerous archaeological remains dating from the 6th century. Mongolian nomads continue to use the grassland within the cultural landscape as pasture. Archaeological traces and ongoing pastoral use are therefore part of the same regional setting.
Kharkhorum, the capital of Chingis Khan’s empire in the 13th and 14th centuries, is part of this cultural landscape. Erdene Zuu is the oldest surviving Mongolian Buddhist monastery. The region’s history also reaches back to other periods: Khar Balgas was the capital of the Uyghur Empire in the 8th and 9th centuries. This comparison of periods shows how different political and religious chapters are rooted in Uvurkhangai.
More Monastic History in the Region
Other monasteries also broaden the historical picture of Uvurkhangai. Baruun KhĂĽree, also known as Shank Monastery, was founded in 1647 on the southeastern slope of Mount Shank in Kharkhorin Soum. Tuvkhun Monastery was founded by Zanabazar in 1654. A path with stone steps cut through the rock leads to the monastery. These two foundation dates place this monastic history in a later period than Kharkhorum, the capital, and Erdene Zuu, without suggesting that these sites form a single place to visit.
The Orkhon Valley cultural landscape administration also publishes a cultural tourism route within the World Heritage Site. Individual route maps may contain further details. If you are looking for a hotel in Kharkhorin, it helps to decide on the scope of your trip: Erdene Zuu and the history of Kharkhorin on the one hand, or the wider cultural landscape and other historical sites in Uvurkhangai on the other.
For the broader travel overview: Kharkhorin.
