White wall
Rows of stupas.
Marcin Konsek — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Bernard Gagnon — CC0 · Bernard Gagnon — CC0 · Bernard Gagnon — CC0
Probably the oldest surviving Buddhist monastery in Mongolia, built in 1585 beside the ruins of Karakorum, the 13th-century capital of the Mongol Empire, whose stones it is said to reuse. It is part of the Orkhon Valley cultural landscape on the World Heritage list. A huge square wall surrounds it, topped by 108 small white stupas set at equal intervals, so from afar it looks like a white frame on the steppe. Inside is a wide grassy court with temples under green roofs in Chinese and Tibetan style, and a large golden stupa. Dozens of temples once stood inside the wall; most were destroyed in the 1930s, a few survive as a museum and monks have returned to part of the monastery. Outside is an old stone turtle from Karakorum's remains and a small museum on the ancient capital. A small entry fee; sources differ on the amount. Monasteries are living places of worship: dress modestly, walk clockwise around temples and prayer wheels, and ask before taking photos inside, as some charge a photo fee. June to September is the best time; winters are bitter, with temperatures far below freezing.
Rows of stupas.
In the court.
Ancient stone.
Kharkhorin, Orkhon Valley, about 360 km west of Ulaanbaatar
It was built beside the ruins of the Mongol capital, reportedly from its stones, and a stone turtle from the capital still stands nearby.