Gandan Monastery

Gandan is the largest and most significant monastery in Mongolia and one of Ulaanbaatar 's most interesting sights. Built in the mid 19th century, it is the only monastery where Buddhist services continued to function even during the communist past. Temples are flocked by visitors during religious services that start at 10 a.m. and last until mid day. The Migjid Janraisig Temple is an important part of Gandan Monastery. The temple houses the majestic new gilded statue of Migjid Janraisig, decorated with jewels. This 26 meter high 20 ton statue is a copy of another statue that was destroyed in the 1920's by communists. The statue was built with donations of Mongolian people as symbol of Buddhist revival in the mid 1990's.