Manzushir Monastery is a perfect day tour area located in the south of protected Bogd Khan Mountain, 45 km by road from Ulaanbaatar, and 8 km northeast of Zuunmod town.
Initially, the monastery was built for Manzushir, a Bodhisat of wisdom in 1773, among the picturesque natural settings of a pine-covered valley dotted with boulders and curved with streams on the altitude of 1800 m.
The monastery suffered the same fate as the other monasteries in Mongolia. It had 20 temples housed by 350 monks when it destroyed during the communist purge in 1937.
The main temple of the monastery partially restored in 1990, but others remain in ruins.
Despite the fact monastery remained in ruins, the surrounding nature is still beautiful. Two objects indestructible were two-tonne huge bronze cauldron and Buddhist paintings on the rock behind the monastery museum.
Except for the painting, you will have awe-inspiring views from the top of the rock.
The bronze cauldron was 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.
There is a small natural museum and a monastery museum display religious dance tsam mask, tanka religious painting, musical instrument, and the old monastery photo of how it looked like before the destruction.
Besides, the Manzushir Monastery, the area is a starting point of a hike to Bogd Khan Mountain’s peak Tsetseegun 2256 m. There many trails to reach the Tsetsee Gun peak, but the hike from Manzushir is easiest while it is also the longest. The hiking requires one full day from early morning till evening.
The weather on the flat top of the mountain is cool and windy, sometimes with unpredictable thunderstorms in summer. Therefore, bring food, water, hot tea, wind, and waterproof clothes in summer. On top of the mountain, you will see ovoos or cairns and Ulaanbaatar partially.