Government Palace
The colonnade.
Ts. Yesui — CC0 · Bernard Gagnon — CC0 · Brücke-Osteuropa — Public domain · Krokus — CC BY-SA 3.0
The central square of the Mongolian capital, named in 1923 after the revolutionary hero Damdin Sukhbaatar, whose equestrian statue stands at its centre. Around it stand the city's key buildings: the Government Palace to the north, the pink Opera House, the National Theatre and modern glass towers. The Government Palace front has a huge colonnade centred on a vast seated statue of Chinggis Khaan, flanked by his son Ogedei and grandson Kublai, with mounted warriors at either end. The square is the heart of public life, hosting national celebrations, concerts and exhibitions, with children and families coming to play and take photos; in July the parades of the great Naadam festival with its traditional games set off from here. The square is free, with the main museums a few minutes' walk away. June to September is the best time; winters are bitter, with temperatures far below freezing.
The colonnade.
A pink building.
In July.
Central Ulaanbaatar
National Museum of MongoliaMongolia's foremost history museum, telling the country's story from the Stone A3 minutes walk4.5
Choijin Lama TempleA small, elegant temple complex built in the early 20th century for the Bogd Kha6 minutes walk4.5
Gandan MonasteryThe centre of Buddhism in Mongolia and its most important monastery, founded in 22 minutes walk4.5In mid-July each year, with wrestling, horse racing and archery, its celebrations starting in the centre of the capital.