MONGOLIA

MUSEUMS. Bogd Khaan Winter Palace Museum

One of the first museums in Mongolia. It was built between 1893 and 1903. It used to be a winter residence of the last Bogd Khaan of Mongolia, Javzandamba. Jebtzun Damba Hutagt VIII, the eighth Living Buddha, and last king of Mongolia lived here for 20 years. 

This is the only remaining palace out of four residences where Bogd Khaan, the last Mongolian ruler, resided. This palace now displays the collection of personal belongings of the last Khaan and his wife. The museum offers a wide variety of Buddhist arts. Special attention attracts paintings by Marzan Sharav depicting with a slice of humor and irony scenes from the everyday life of Mongols. You'll find sculptures by the first Bogd Khaan, Zanabazar and famous Taras here, excellent scroll paintings, costumes and other items.

The palace is well known for it's Gate of Peace, Temple and personal library of Bogd Khaan. There are six temples in the grounds. The white building to the right as you enter is the Winter Palace itself. It contains a collection of gifts received from foreign dignitaries, such as a pair of golden boots from a Russian tsar, a robe made from 80 unfortunate foxes and a ger lined with the skins of 150 snow leopards (ask the curator to open the ger for you).

The Bogd Khaan's penchant for unusual live animals explains the extraordinary array of stuffed animals in the Palace - including an elephant that had to walk for three months from the Russian border to Ulaanbaatar.