TUVKHUN MONASTERY

Location: 450 km from Ulaanbaatar, 40 km from Khujirt town of Uvurhangai province.

One of Mongolias oldest Buddhist monasteries, is located on the border Uvurkhangai province and Arkhngai province in central Mongolia, approximately 47 kilometers southwest of Kharakhorum.

Tuvkhun Monastery was first established in 1648 by the 14-year-old Zanabazar, the first Jebzundamba khutugtu and spiritual head of Tiabeten Buddism for the Khalkha in Outher Mongolia. He determined that the location on the Shireet Ulaan Uul mountain overlooking a hill at 2,600 meters above sea-level was an auspicious location. The first physical structures were built upon his return from studying in Tiebet in 1653. Zanabazar, who was a gifted sculptor, painter, and musician, used the monastery, originally called Bayasgalant Aglag Oron (Happy Secluded Place), as his personal retreat over the course of 30 years. While there created many of his most famous works. It was also where he developed the Soyombo script.

The monastery was destroyed in 1688 by Oirat Mongols during their military campaign against Eastern Khalkha Mongols. Restored in 1773, the monastery suffered severe damage during the Stalanist purge of the late 1930s as Mongolia’s communist regime sought to destroy the Buddhist Church in the country.

Religious activities at the monastery restarted in 1992 and restoration of the monasterys grounds was completed in 1997. Two original temples and two stupas from the 17th century still stand, along with additional temples built in the 18th century. Ceremonies were staged to re-consecrate the monastery and a new statue of Gombo Makhagal (Mahakala). The monastery was registered as a UNESCO world cultural heritage site in 1996. Several monks now reside and practice at the monastery full-time.