The great hall
A stepped roof and red columns.
Bogomolov.PL — Public domain · Mongolia Expeditions… — CC BY 3.0 · Martin Vorel — CC0 · Martin Vorel — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Martin Vorel — CC BY-SA 4.0
Amarbayasgalant is one of Mongolia's three largest Buddhist monastic centres, standing alone in the green Iven Valley near the Selenge River in the north. It is known for its unity of style and its remote setting, with red walls and tiled roofs that look like an island in the steppe. It was ordered by the Qing emperor Yongzheng as the resting place of Zanabazar, the first spiritual head of Tibetan Buddhism in Mongolia. Construction ran from 1727 to 1736, and Zanabazar's remains were moved here in 1779. Tradition says the name comes from two children met by those seeking the site. It once had over 40 temples, was badly damaged in the campaigns of 1937, leaving only the central section, and restoration began in 1988. Today you see a symmetrical plan with halls following one another along a north-south axis, in a mainly Chinese style with Mongol and Tibetan touches. You pass through timber doors in old yellow walls, then stand before the great hall with its stepped roof and red columns. From the nearby hill, topped by a white stupa, the whole monastery lies spread across the plain. It is about 60 km in a straight line from Darkhan, about 91 km from Erdenet and about 220 km from Ulaanbaatar. Tours quote 6 to 7 hours from the capital, including 35 km of dirt road, so allow two days. May to September suits it best. This is a working monastery, so dress modestly, keep quiet and ask before taking photos inside.
A stepped roof and red columns.
A passage through old walls.
The whole monastery in its valley.
Iven Valley, foot of Mount Buren-Khaan, Selenge Province, northern Mongolia
Tours quote 6 to 7 hours each way, so two days suit it better, with a night in a nearby camp.
Yes, monks live here, so respect the prayers and ask before taking photos inside.