Bogd Khan National Park

The mountain looming over Ulaanbaatar to the south is considered to be the oldest legally protected mountain in the world. Its environmental protection on Bogd Khan Mountain dates back at least to the 13th century. According to the Great Yuan Dynasty Law of 1294, Bogd Khaan Uul was strictly protected along with other mountains like Otgontenger, Khan Khentii, and Altai Nuser Davaa. Also, history says that the Tooril khan ruler of the Khereid, forbidden logging and hunting there, then, the mountain has been venerated, and local people neither hunted on the mountain nor harvested the timber.

During Qing Dynasty domination, one of the Mongolian governors petitioned to hold ceremonies and approved worshipping ceremonies twice yearly since 1778.  

The worshipping ceremony of the mountain was interrupted from 1921 to 1995. On the 365th anniversary of the founding of Ulaanbaatar in 1995, Tsetsee Gun peak was worshipped. Then, President P. Ochirbat issued a decree to hold the state ceremony of Bogd Khan Mountain. In 2004, by the decree of the President of Mongolia, it was made one of the state sacred mountains, and state worship is held once every 5 years.

This mountain is on the boundary of the steppe and forest-steppe natural zone. The mountain also marks the Southern border of Siberian forest and Mongolian forests. Bogd Khan Uul was declared a biosphere reserve by UNESCO in 1996.  

Bogd Khan National Park 

The Bogd Khan National Park has 416 square km and the highest point is Tsetsee Gun which is 2256 meters above sea level. The peak is a three-hour hike away and five to six hours for the round-trip hike. The National Park is located in the Northeast Zuunmod, the capital of Tov aimag which is the nearest province center to UB. It has sacred mountains and rock carvings, over 300 plant varieties, animals such as bear, fox, hare, wolf, squirrel, eagles, and woodpeckers, red and musk deer, Siberian deer, Siberian ibex, wild boar, and many species of birds such as common buzzard, woodpecker, stork, and others. Bogd Khan Mountain is perfectly suitable for those who want a short-time trip and one of the closest destinations from the capital Ulaanbaatar. There is a must-see spot known as the Manzushir Khid 18th century monastery.

Attractions at Bogd Khan National Park

Manzushir monastery

Manzushir monastery was established in 1733, south of the Bogd Khan Uul Mountain range, 7km north of the Töv Aimag capital of Zuunmod. 

Manzushir is a Tibet word meaning the Bodhisattva of Wisdom. Over time the monastery grew into a complex that housed more than 20 temples with over 300 resident monks. During the communist purges of the 1930s, the monastery was completely destroyed and all the monks either executed or exiled. The remains of the temple have been turned into a museum and have been protected since 1971 and the paintings of Buddha since 1994 as well. There is a huge pot made in 1726 and it is designed to cook food for 1000 monks in a single sitting or said to boil up 10 sheep meat or 2 cow meat at a time. 

Besides, the Manzushir Monastery, the area is a starting point of a hike to Bogd Khan Mountain’s peak Tsetsee gun. There many trails to reach the Tsetsee Gun peak, but the hike from Manzushir is easiest while it is also the longest.