MONASTERY AND MUSEUM OF THE CHOIJIN LAMA

Completed in 1908 after four years' work, this Buddhist monastery was originally the residence of the Bogd Khan's brother, who held the honorary title of Choijin. Closed by the Russians, the monastery escaped destruction only to be transformed into a museum in 1942, to bear witness to the feudalism of pre-Soviet Mongolia and above all to its religious practices. Even today, nestled in the heart of the modern city, the monastery houses a museum and has not been returned to worship. It comprises five temples.

The first is the Maharaja temple, home to the monastery's guardians, facing the four cardinal points.

The main temple is the second in the central axis of the monastery. It houses a statue of Sakyamuni, surrounded by two disciples, Mongol Jibba, an astronomer, and Streigh Jibbu, a philosopher. On the far left is a representation of the Choijin Lama, the brother of Mongolia's last Bogd Khan, recognizable by his yellow headdress. At his side is his teacher, whose mummified remains are said to lie inside the statue. The temple also features a collection of religious musical instruments, masks used during tsam dances, and images of these ceremonies. Numerous tangka (religious paintings) adorn the walls.

In the second courtyard on the left stands a small temple with three Buddha statues, representing the past, present and future. The Buddhas are accompanied by their disciples and framed by the sixteen arhat (spiritual men), in meditative positions.

The Yiddam temple, originally off-limits to the public because it was used as a place of prayer by Choijin Lama Luvsankhaidav, is home to a statue of Sitasamvara by Zanabazar, the country's first Bogd Khan. There is also a series of statues of Yiddam, protective divinities depicted with menacing faces.

Finally, the Amgalan temple, at the end of the courtyard on the right, features a self-portrait statue of Zanabazar, as well as a representation of Tara, recognizable by the lotus flower on which she always sits, symbolizing purity.

If some temples are closed, don't hesitate to ask for access. Before the pandemic, concerts were held daily in the complex. From now on, they will only be organized on an occasional basis. Ask at the ticket office.