In the southern sector of Ulaanbaatar, where the clear waters of the Tuul River wind along the northern foot of pine-clad Bogd Khan Mountain, an enclave of sweeping jade-green glazed roofs and vermilion walls stands serenely amid the modern avenues of Khan-Uul District. Passing behind a dragon-carved spirit wall and beneath a soaring wooden triumphal archway assembled without a single iron nail, visitors enter the Winter Palace of the Bogd Khan (Bogd Khaanii Ordon, traditionally known as the Nogoon Ordon or Green Palace): the royal seat and spiritual sanctuary where Mongolia's last theocratic monarch lived for twenty years.
Constructed between 1893 and 1906 for the Eighth Jebtsundamba Khutuktu (1869 to 1924, supreme head of Mongolian Buddhism who led the restoration of national independence in December 1911 and ascended the throne as the Bogd Khan, the Holy Emperor), this compound is the only one of his four historic palaces to survive the twentieth century. Serving since 1926 as Mongolia's oldest national museum, the palace preserves both an intimate portrait of early twentieth-century royal life and an unmatched treasury of Vajrayana Buddhist art.
IThe Last Theocratic Emperor Bogd Khan, Queen Consort Dondogdulam as White Tara, and the Palace of Wisdom
In the Vajrayana Buddhist world of Inner Asia, just as the Dalai Lamas united spiritual and temporal authority from the Potala Palace in Lhasa, the supreme ecclesiastical throne of Khalkha Mongolia from the seventeenth to the early twentieth century was held by the reincarnate lineage of the Jebtsundamba Khutuktu (revered as the Bogd Gegeen). The eighth incarnation, Ngawang Lobsang Chokyi Nyima Tenzin Wangchuk (born in Tibet in 1869 and brought to Urga at age five), grew up deeply identified with the aspirations of the Mongolian nation. When the Qing dynasty collapsed in late 1911, the princes and lamas of Mongolia proclaimed national independence and enthroned the Eighth Bogd Gegeen on December 29, 1911, as Bogd Khan (the Holy Sovereign uniting the Seal of the Dharma and the Seal of the State).
Ruling beside the Bogd Khan at the Winter Palace was his beloved consort, Queen Dondogdulam (1876 to 1923), honored with the state title Ulsyn Ekh Dagina (Mother Dakini of the Nation) and venerated by Buddhist devotees as a living emanation of White Tara, the Bodhisattva of compassion and long life. A skilled calligrapher, ritual specialist, and patron of the arts, Queen Dondogdulam supervised the palace ateliers where master artisans created exquisite silk appliqué thangkas, embroidered robes, and sacred sculptures.
The Green Palace complex comprises two complementary realms standing side by side: on the west is the Seven-Temple Monastic Complex (officially consecrated as Erdem Itgemjit Süm, the Temple Developing Mantra and Wisdom), whose halls enshrine Shakyamuni Buddha, the Twenty-One Taras, the Four Heavenly Kings, the Sixteen Arhats (Naidan), and the portraits and thrones of all eight Jebtsundamba Khutuktus; immediately to the east stands the two-story European-Style Winter Residence (built 1903 to 1905), where the royal couple lived during the bitter steppe winters and received foreign envoys.
The architectural pairing of a seven-temple Vajrayana sanctuary with a modern two-story royal villa visually embodies the classical Mongolian constitutional principle of the Twofold Law (Khoyor Yos, the harmony of Spiritual Dharma and Secular Governance) first articulated under Kublai Khan and Chögyal Phags-pa in the thirteenth century. Grounded inwardly in the Buddhist vows of wisdom and compassion, the sovereign simultaneously engaged the modern diplomatic and scientific world to safeguard Mongolia's sovereignty.
At the heart of the temple complex, the enshrinement of the complete set of Twenty-One Taras (21 Taras) cast in gilt bronze by the First Jebtsundamba Zanabazar in the seventeenth century invoked the swift, fearless protection of Mother Tara over the newly independent nation.
Historical archives record that at the turn of the twentieth century, the Eighth Bogd Khan maintained four major palaces around Ikh Khüree (Ulaanbaatar): the Yellow Palace (Shar Ordon in the city center), the White Palace (Tsagaan Ordon), the Brown/Red Palace (Khaistai Lavrin), and the Green Palace (Nogoon Ordon, the Winter Palace). Construction of the Green Palace began in 1893 with the erection of the seven green-tiled Buddhist temples; between 1903 and 1905, the two-story white brick Winter Residence was added beside the temples following architectural drawings gifted by Russian Tsar Nicholas II.
Between 1912 and 1919, to commemorate Mongolia's December 1911 declaration of independence and the Bogd Khan's enthronement, master Mongolian woodcarvers erected the monumental Gate of Peace (Amgalan Enkhiin Khaalga) at the southern entrance of the temple compound, interlocking 108 elaborate timber bracket sets without using a single iron nail.
First-time visitors hearing the name Winter Palace of the Bogd Khan sometimes expect only a European mansion and are surprised to discover that more than two-thirds of the complex is a classical Sino-Tibetan-Mongolian Buddhist monastery of seven ornate wooden temples. The two-story Russian-style building served specifically as heated winter living quarters against Ulaanbaatar's minus-forty-degree winters, whereas royal ceremonies, audiences, and Buddhist rituals took place inside the seven green-roofed temple halls.
IIOver a Century from the 1911 Independence Palace to Mongolia's Oldest National Museum
The Winter Palace beside the Tuul River stood at the center of the dramatic birth of modern Mongolia. Within these halls in the autumn and winter of 1911, the Eighth Bogd Gegeen and Khalkha princes coordinated the national independence movement, culminating in the grand enthronement ceremony of December 29, 1911. Throughout his thirteen-year reign from 1911 to 1924, including the turbulent foreign occupation of 1919 to 1920 (when the Bogd Khan was held under house arrest here before being spirited across the mountain to Manzushir Monastery in early 1921) and the People's Revolution of July 1921 that retained him as constitutional monarch, the Winter Palace remained the revered symbol of Mongolian sovereignty.
Queen Dondogdulam passed away in April 1923, followed on May 20, 1924, by the passing of the Eighth Bogd Khan at age fifty-four, bringing Mongolia's theocratic monarchy to a close. Immediately afterward, the government decided to preserve the Winter Palace and its royal collections as a National Museum (established in 1924 and opened to the public in 1926). Just as with his younger brother's Choijin Lama Temple, this early conversion into a state museum saved the Winter Palace and its priceless seventeenth-century Zanabazar bronzes from the 1937 purges that destroyed the Bogd Khan's other three palaces.
- 1893 to 1906Construction of the seven Buddhist temples and the two-story Winter ResidenceThe seven green-tiled Buddhist temples of Erdem Itgemjit are built starting in 1893; between 1903 and 1905 the two-story European-style Winter Residence is erected from blueprints gifted by Tsar Nicholas II.
- December 29, 1911Enthronement of the Eighth Jebtsundamba as Bogd Khan of independent MongoliaMongolia proclaims national independence; the Eighth Jebtsundamba Khutuktu ascends the throne as Bogd Khan alongside Queen Consort Dondogdulam (Ekh Dagina), with the Green Palace as his royal residence.
- 1912 to 1919Erection of the nail-free Gate of Peace (Amgalan Enkhiin Khaalga)Master Mongolian carpenters construct the soaring triple-arched Triumphal Gate of Peace using 108 interlocking timber brackets without iron nails to celebrate the 1911 restoration of independence.
- 1924 to 1926Passing of the Bogd Khan and conversion into Mongolia's first National MuseumFollowing the Bogd Khan's passing in May 1924, the palace and its royal and religious treasures are preserved intact and opened to the public as a National Museum in 1926.
- 1961 to the 21st centuryDesignation as the Bogd Khan Palace Museum and conservation of National TreasuresDesignated the Bogd Khan Palace Museum in 1961, the complex undergoes scientific restoration and safeguards the largest concentration of registered National Treasures in Mongolia.
The ceremonial ger of 150 snow-leopard pelts and the Bogd Khan's menagerie. Among the thousands of royal artifacts preserved inside the two-story Winter Residence, none surprises visitors more than a complete ceremonial royal ger tent lined with 150 white snow-leopard pelts (presented to the Bogd Gegeen by a regional noble for his twenty-fifth birthday) alongside a sable coat stitched from hundreds of pelts. Deeply curious about the natural world beyond the steppe, the Bogd Khan also maintained a private menagerie along the Tuul River that included an Asian elephant (purchased in Russia and walked overland to Urga, where it was tended by monks), a giraffe, ostriches, and exotic birds; when the animals died of old age, they were mounted by German taxidermists in the early twentieth century as an educational natural history collection that still stands in the palace today.
IIIThe Nail-Free Gate of Peace, Seven Jade-Roofed Buddhist Temples, and the White Winter Villa
The architecture of the Winter Palace of the Bogd Khan presents a fascinating dialogue between classical Inner Asian timber temple design and turn-of-the-century Russian neoclassical residential style. Enclosed by green and crimson perimeter walls, the western monastic section follows a symmetrical south-to-north progression of seven wooden temples crowned with emerald-green glazed tile roofs, upturned dragon eaves, and richly painted ceiling coffers. Today each temple hall serves as a specialized gallery of sacred Vajrayana art.
Standing immediately to the east within the same compound is the two-story whitewashed brick Winter Residence (1903 to 1905), featuring tall multi-paned windows, a green metal roof, and a carved wooden staircase leading up to the royal throne room, private chapel, and bedchambers of the Bogd Khan and Queen Dondogdulam.
The southern ceremonial approach begins at a brick spirit wall carved with dragons, an iron gate flanked by tall flagpoles, and the three-tiered wooden Gate of Peace built with 108 interlocking brackets without a single iron nail.
The entrance sanctuary housing monumental polychrome papier-mache statues of the Four Maharaja Guardian Kings defending the four directions, flanked by symmetrical Bell and Drum pavilions.
Showcases monumental silk appliqué and gold-thread embroidered thangkas crafted by the royal workshops under Queen Dondogdulam, alongside mineral-pigment scroll paintings of the eight Jebtsundambas.
The crowning artistic sanctuary at the north end of the temple axis, displaying original seventeenth-century gilt-bronze sculptures by Öndör Gegeen Zanabazar, including the complete set of Twenty-One Taras, Green Tara, and Vajradhara.
Preserves the gilded royal thrones, jade and gold state seals of 1911, pearl-encrusted ceremonial robes, royal carriages, gifts from Tsar Nicholas II, the natural history collection, and the ger lined with 150 snow-leopard pelts.
| Feature | Historical and architectural specification | Verified source |
|---|---|---|
| Official name | Winter Palace of the Bogd Khan (Bogd Khaanii Ordon / Nogoon Ordon - Green Palace) | Bogd Khan Palace Museum, Wikidata Q890395 |
| Construction dates | 7 Buddhist Temples: 1893 to 1906; Two-Story Winter Villa: 1903 to 1905; Gate of Peace: 1912 to 1919 | National Architectural Heritage Registry of Mongolia |
| Royal residents | Eighth Jebtsundamba Khutuktu Bogd Khan (1869 to 1924) and Queen Consort Dondogdulam (1876 to 1923) | Mongolian Academy of Sciences |
| Museum establishment | Converted into a museum in 1924 and opened in 1926 (oldest national museum in Mongolia) | Ministry of Culture of Mongolia, bogdkhaanpalace.mn |
| Signature treasures | Zanabazar's gilt-bronze Twenty-One Taras, nail-free Gate of Peace, and 150-snow-leopard-pelt royal ger | National Treasure Registry of Mongolia |
IVThe Lie of the Land
Among the four historic palaces of the Eighth Bogd Khan in Ulaanbaatar, the Winter Palace (Green Palace) occupied the most auspicious riverside and mountain-facing setting between the Tuul River and sacred Bogd Khan Mountain. Below is a comparative reading of the palace's terrain and orientation through the library's traditional landform framework.
Examining the river-and-mountain convergence at coordinates 47.8975 degrees north, 106.9069 degrees east, the Winter Palace rests on the level northern terrace of the Tuul River (Tuul Gol), the principal waterway flowing from the Khentii Mountains across the southern edge of Ulaanbaatar. Directly across the river to the south rises the lush, pine-forested northern face of sacred Bogd Khan Mountain, soaring to 2,268 meters. In classical geomantic terms, the clear Tuul River curving immediately south of the palace forms a living Jade-Belt Watercourse (Ngoc Dai Thuy) that tempers the dry steppe air and gathers prosperity, while the monumental massif of Bogd Khan Mountain rising beyond the water acts as a majestic Front Table and Worship Mountain (An Son / Trieu Son) shielding the valley.
In terms of axial orientation and Five-Element color harmony, the seven Buddhist temples and the Gate of Peace are aligned along a strict north-to-south axis, sitting north and facing south directly toward the Tuul River and Bogd Khan Uul, allowing the Bogd Khan to gaze daily upon the sacred mountain that shared his title. Moreover, roofing the palace temples in emerald-green glazed tiles (the Green Palace) corresponds to the Wood element: nourished by the waters of the Tuul River (Water generates Wood) and resonating visually with the evergreen taiga forests of Bogd Khan Mountain, this harmonious siting accompanied the sole royal palace that survived the twentieth century intact.
VDecember 29 National Independence Day, Exhibitions of Zanabazar's Bronzes, and Royal Palace Observances
Standing at the crossroads of Mongolia's modern independence history and its Vajrayana Buddhist artistic heritage, the Winter Palace of the Bogd Khan welcomes visitors year-round and hosts major state and religious commemorations. The table below summarizes the key annual observances at the palace museum.
| Date | Calendar system | Observance | Ceremonial and cultural activities at the Winter Palace of the Bogd Khan |
|---|---|---|---|
| December 29 each year | Gregorian Calendar (National Holiday) | National Freedom and Independence Day (1911 Enthronement of the Bogd Khan) | State dignitaries, historians, lamas, and citizens gather at the palace to commemorate the December 29, 1911 declaration of independence, with special displays of the Bogd Khan's state seal and royal regalia. |
| 1st to 15th day of the 1st lunar month | Mongolian Lunar Calendar | Tsagaan Sar (White Month New Year) Royal Tradition Exhibition | Special New Year exhibitions of royal ceremonial objects while Ulaanbaatar families dressed in traditional silk deels visit the Lavrin Temple to venerate Zanabazar's Twenty-One Taras. |
| 15th day of the first summer month | Mongolian Lunar Calendar | Ikh Düchen (Triple Blessed Buddha Day) Pilgrimage to the Sacred Bronzes | Buddhist devotees and art lovers pay homage before the seventeenth-century gilt-bronze deities of Zanabazar and the giant silk appliqué thangkas in the seven historic temples. |
| May 18 and Midsummer | Gregorian Calendar | International Museum Day and Royal Khalkha Heritage Festival | Outdoor performances of traditional court music, demonstrations of Mongolian silk appliqué embroidery in the tradition of Queen Dondogdulam, and curator-led tours of the palace. |
| Autumn commemorative dates | Mongolian Lunar Calendar | Memorial Rites for the Eighth Bogd Khan and Queen Consort Dondogdulam | Commemorating the cultural, artistic, and patriotic legacy of the last Jebtsundamba Khutuktu and the Mother Dakini of the Nation. |
The golden radiance of the Twenty-One Taras inside the quiet timber hall. Stepping into the northern Lavrin Temple at the rear of the monastic courtyard, every visitor falls silent before the glass cases holding the complete suite of Twenty-One Taras and the Green Tara cast in gilt bronze by Öndör Gegeen Zanabazar in the seventeenth century. Under soft light, the meditative poise of the faces, the supple lotus mudras of the fingers, and the flowing drapery cast seamlessly in bronze reveal why Zanabazar is celebrated as the Michelangelo of the Buddhist steppe.
More than a century after the Eighth Bogd Khan and Queen Dondogdulam walked beneath its emerald-green eaves beside the Tuul River, the Winter Palace endures as a living time capsule where royal history and transcendent Buddhist art remain whole.
VILocation And How To Get There
- Address
- Chinggis Avenue, north bank of the Tuul River at the foot of Bogd Khan Mountain, Khan-Uul District, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
- Getting there
- The Winter Palace of the Bogd Khan is located on Chinggis Avenue in Khan-Uul District in southern Ulaanbaatar, just north of the Zaisan Bridge over the Tuul River and approximately 3.5 to 4 km south of Sükhbaatar Square. From central Ulaanbaatar, visitors can walk south along Peace Avenue and Chinggis Avenue across the Peace Bridge in 35 to 40 minutes, or take a taxi or southbound city bus along the Zaisan route right to the Bogd Khan Palace Museum stop in 10 to 15 minutes.
- Coordinates
- 47.8975, 106.9069
The Winter Palace of the Bogd Khan houses the largest collection of officially registered National Treasures in Mongolia. Visitors should dress respectfully, avoid touching carved wooden doorways, thangka hangings, or glass display cases, and follow museum photography rules (a separate camera or phone-photography permit is purchased at the ticket booth for interior photography, and flash photography is strictly prohibited to protect the delicate nineteenth- and early twentieth-century silk paintings).
Nearby places in the library
VIIContribute To This Page
Contribute photos, information or video for Winter Palace of the Bogd Khan
Master Ưng Khiêm welcomes the community to enrich this page: a photograph taken on site, a historical detail not yet noted, or a short video. Every contribution is read and answered.
No community contribution yet. You could be the first.
?Quick Questions
Who was the Bogd Khan, and when was the Winter Palace built?
The Bogd Khan (1869 to 1924) was the Eighth Jebtsundamba Khutuktu, the supreme spiritual leader of Mongolian Buddhism who led the restoration of Mongolia's independence from the Qing dynasty and was enthroned as Holy Emperor (Bogd Khan) on December 29, 1911. His Winter Palace (the Green Palace) was built between 1893 and 1906 beside the Tuul River for him and Queen Consort Dondogdulam.
Why was the Winter Palace the only one of the Bogd Khan's four palaces to survive the 1930s?
During his reign, the Bogd Khan had four major palaces in Ulaanbaatar (the Yellow, White, Red/Brown, and Green Palaces). Following his passing in May 1924, the government converted the Winter Palace (Green Palace) into a National Museum in 1924 to 1926; because it functioned as a state museum, it was spared the 1937 purges that demolished his other three palaces.
How does the Winter Palace combine traditional Asian and European architecture?
The compound consists of two adjacent wings: on the west stand seven traditional Sino-Tibetan-Mongolian wooden Buddhist temples roofed in green glazed tiles and entered through the nail-free Gate of Peace (built 1912 to 1919); on the east stands a two-story whitewashed brick Winter Residence built between 1903 and 1905 from a Russian architectural blueprint gifted by Tsar Nicholas II.
What are the most famous Buddhist artworks preserved inside the temple halls?
The Lavrin and silk embroidery temples house Mongolia's premier collection of seventeenth-century gilt-bronze sculptures cast by the First Jebtsundamba Khutuktu Zanabazar (including the complete set of Twenty-One Taras, Green Tara, and Vajradhara) alongside monumental silk appliqué thangkas created by Queen Dondogdulam's royal workshop.
What unusual royal artifacts are displayed inside the two-story Winter Residence?
Inside the two-story Russian-style residence, visitors can view the gilded royal thrones, the 1911 state seal, pearl-embroidered ceremonial robes and hats of the Bogd Khan and Queen Dondogdulam, royal carriages, early twentieth-century taxidermy from the Bogd Khan's private menagerie, and a complete ceremonial ger tent lined with 150 snow-leopard pelts.