Kharkhorin: Monasteries, History and Landscape

Kharkhorin connects monastic history with a vast cultural landscape. Erdene Zuu Monastery, the ruins of Kharakhorum and places beyond the center offer different focuses for a visit. The cultural landscape of the Orkhon Valley, which includes Kharakhorum, was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2004.

Cultural Landscape and History

In Kharkhorin soum, the cultural landscape follows the upper course of the Orkhon River. Its average elevation ranges from 1,350 to 2,300 meters above sea level. This regional perspective complements a closer look at individual monasteries and historic sites: you visit not only individual buildings, but also move through a landscape connected with the history of Kharakhorum.

For regional context: in the wider destination of Uvurkhangai, the cultural landscape of the Orkhon Valley extends through the soums of Bat-Ölzii, Khujirt and Kharkhorin. The 121,967-hectare landscape includes pastureland on both banks of the Orkhon and archaeological remains dating from the 6th century. Mongolian nomads continue to use the grasslands as pasture. Kharakhorum, which is part of the cultural landscape, was the capital of Chingis Khan’s empire in the 13th and 14th centuries.

Erdene Zuu and Kharakhorum

Avtai Khan founded Erdene Zuu in 1586. In 1965, the monastery was declared a state museum of religious history. The three central temples were built without nails and are currently used to display museum exhibits. As the arrangements may change, it is advisable to check visiting options before your visit.

The Kharakhorum Museum is dedicated to historical and cultural objects associated with the cultural landscape of the Orkhon Valley and the Mongolian capital of Kharakhorum. Its work includes preserving, researching and interpreting these objects. The outdoor area has a center for traditional Mongolian games, and the museum also offers educational programs for children and young people.

One striking detail among the ruins of Kharakhorum is a stone turtle monument. It stands in front of the open-air museum at the ruins, north of Erdene Zuu. The monument is 1.10 meters high, 1.25 meters wide and 2.6 meters long. These specific measurements make the stone artifact easy to picture alongside the region’s broader historical context.

At the mouth of the Bayangol lie the ruins of two ancient cities, 13 kilometers north of the center of Kharkhorin. Visitors interested in archaeological history can include this location in their itinerary alongside the sites of Kharakhorum. The Kharkhorin–Hotont–Khashaat route is designated as a tourist route.

Monasteries, Landscape and Ceremonies

Historic sites and landscapes come together beyond the center, too. Shankh Western Monastery was built in 1647 in Kharkhorin soum. It is located three to four kilometers southeast of the center of Shankh bag, on the western bank of the Harz River. Khangai Khairkhan is ten kilometers northwest of the center of Kharkhorin, at the end of the Khangai Mountains and at an elevation of 1,964.3 meters above sea level. The mountain is considered part of the natural heritage of the cultural landscape and the Orkhon Valley Nature Park.

The Shankh Monastery Maitreya ceremony takes place each year on the third day of the month marking the start of summer, in the center of Shankh bag, 22 kilometers from the center of Kharkhorin. At Erdene Zuu, another Maitreya ceremony is scheduled for the eighth day of the first spring month in the center of Kharkhorin. The traditional dates fall on different days of the calendar, and their exact Gregorian dates vary from year to year. So check the date for the relevant year before traveling.

An event in Kharkhorin presents the cultural heritage of Kharakhorum and Erdene Zuu through art, culture, traditional customs and the history of nomadic people. Alongside the monasteries and museum exhibits, cultural interpretation and inherited traditions are also explored as distinct themes.

Discover more destinations: Kharkhorin, Khujirt.

For the wider travel overview: Uvurkhangai.