Bogd Khan National Park

The mountain looming over Ulaanbaatar to the south is considered the oldest legally protected mountain in the world. Environmental protection of Bogd Khan Mountain dates back at least to the 13th century. According to the Great Yuan Dynasty Law of 1294, Bogd Khan Uul was strictly protected, along with other mountains such as Otgontenger, Khan Khentii, and Altai Nuser Davaa. Historical accounts also mention that Tooril Khan, ruler of the Khereid, forbade logging and hunting on the mountain. Since then, the mountain has been venerated, and local people neither hunted nor harvested timber there.

    During the Qing Dynasty, one of the Mongolian governors petitioned to hold ceremonies, and worshiping rituals were officially approved to take place twice a year starting in 1778.

The worship ceremonies were interrupted from 1921 to 1995. In 1995, on the 365th anniversary of the founding of Ulaanbaatar, Tsetsee Gun Peak was worshipped. Following this, President P. Ochirbat issued a decree to hold a state ceremony at Bogd Khan Mountain. In 2004, by presidential decree, the mountain was officially declared one of Mongolia's sacred state mountains, with state worship held every five years.

The mountain lies at the boundary of the steppe and forest-steppe natural zones, marking the southern border of the Siberian forest and Mongolian forests. Bogd Khan Uul was declared a biosphere reserve by UNESCO in 1996.

Bogd Khan National Park

Bogd Khan National Park covers 416 square kilometers, with its highest point being Tsetsee Gun at 2,256 meters above sea level. The peak is a three-hour hike away, with a round-trip hike taking five to six hours. The park is located in the northeast of Zuunmod, the capital of Tov Aimag, which is the closest provincial center to Ulaanbaatar. The park features sacred mountains and rock carvings, as well as over 300 plant species and animals such as bears, foxes, hares, wolves, squirrels, eagles, woodpeckers, red and musk deer, Siberian deer, Siberian ibex, wild boars, and various bird species, including common buzzards, woodpeckers, storks, and more.

Bogd Khan Mountain is perfect for short trips and is one of the closest destinations from Ulaanbaatar. A must-see spot in the park is the Manzushir Khid, an 18th-century monastery.

Attractions at Bogd Khan National Park

Manzushir Monastery

The Manzushir Monastery was established in 1733, located south of the Bogd Khan Uul Mountain range, 7 km north of the Tov Aimag capital, Zuunmod.

The name "Manzushir" comes from the Tibetan word for the Bodhisattva of Wisdom. Over time, the monastery grew into a complex with more than 20 temples and over 300 resident monks. During the communist purges of the 1930s, the monastery was completely destroyed, and all the monks were either executed or exiled. The remains of the temple have been preserved as a museum since 1971, and the Buddha paintings were protected starting in 1994. One notable artifact is a large pot made in 1726, designed to cook food for 1,000 monks in a single sitting. It is said to be able to boil up to 10 sheep or 2 cows at once.

In addition to the monastery, the area serves as the starting point for a hike to the peak of Bogd Khan Mountain, Tsetsee Gun. While there are several trails leading to the peak, the hike from Manzushir is the longest but also the easiest.