Manzushir

Manzushir Monastery stands on the southern slope of Bogd Khan Mountain, overlooking the country south of the Tuul valley. Dedicated to Manjushri, the Bodhisattva of wisdom, it was founded in 1733 by the monk Luvsanjambaldanzan as the residence of the Manzushir reincarnation. Its temples combined Mongolian, Tibetan and Chinese architectural influences. In 1750 the monastery came under the authority of the Jebtsundamba Khutuktu, Mongolia's leading Buddhist hierarch. It grew into a major religious centre with numerous temples and a library of valuable scriptures. The cliffs above the monastery carried Buddhist images and Tibetan inscriptions, placing religious art within the sacred mountain landscape.