Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
seum demonstrating the 'feudal' ways of the past. Although religious freedom in Mongo-
lia recommenced in 1990, this monastery is no longer an active place of worship.
There are five temples within the grounds. As you enter, the first temple you see is the
Maharaja Süm
. The
main temple
features statues of Sakyamuni (the historical Buddha),
Choijin Lama and Baltung Choimba (the teacher of the Bogd Khan), whose mummified
remains are inside the statue. There are also some fine
thangka
s and some of the best
tsam
masks in the country. The
gongkhang
(protector chapel) behind the main hall con-
tains the oracle's throne and a magnificent statue of
yab-yum
(mystic sexual union).
The other temples are
Zuu Süm
, dedicated to Sakyamuni;
Yadam Süm
, which con-
tains wooden and bronze statues of various gods, some created by the famous Mongolian
sculptor Zanabazar; and
Amgalan Süm
, containing a self-portrait of Zanabazar himself
and a small stupa apparently brought to Ulaanbaatar by Zanabazar from Tibet.
The complex is located off Jamyn Gunii Gudamj, with the entrance on the south side.
Mongol Costumes Centre
GALLERY
( 11-328 840; Olympiin Örgön Chölöö; adult/child T3000/1000; 10am-6pm Mon-Sat,
11am-5.30pm Sun)
This place designs and manufactures many of the fabulous
dels
(tradi-
tional coats) that are worn during the Naadam opening ceremony and other state events.
You can see the different varieties of
del
and even dress up in traditional Mongolian gear
for a professional photo shoot.
The highlight of the centre is a small
museum
, which features traditional Mongolian
garments, as well as ethnographic artefacts, old chess sets, jewellery and replica 13th-
century battle gear. The museum is in an adjacent room that is sometimes locked so you
may have to ask for it to be opened up.
Victims of Political Persecution Memorial Museum
MUSEUM
( 7011 0915; cnr Gendeniin Gudamj & Olympiin Örgön Chölöö; adult/child T3000/1000;
10am-5pm, closed Sat & Sun Nov-Feb)
This little-known museum houses a series of haunting
displays that chronicle the communist purges of the 1930s - an aggressive campaign to
eliminate 'counter-revolutionaries'. During the campaign, intellectuals were arrested and
put on trial, sent to Siberian labour camps or shot. Mongolia lost its top writers, scientists
and thinkers.
The neglected building that houses the museum is one of the oldest in Ulaanbaatar. It
was once the home of former prime minister P Genden, who was executed in Moscow by
the KGB in 1937 for refusing Stalin's orders to carry out the purge. Stalin found a more
