Travel Guide Mats Ongiyn Khiid

Located on both sides of the river of the same name, at the entrance of a beautiful shaded gorge, the ruins of this mythical monastery offer an incredible setting, as if out of nowhere. It was built in two phases: the left bank in 1760, the right bank a century later. The monastery hosted up to 1,000 monks, before being completely destroyed by the Russians in 1937. Today only a white stupa remains and a building that was restored in 2002. This one is used as a place of worship for the lama and his dozen students who live on the site in summer. Ceremonies take place in the morning, and small sparrows play religious musical instruments when tourists come to visit the temple.